Savage Godfrey Gallery presents

“Common Thread”

As we move into the colder months, we gravitate toward comfort and coziness. That’s what Common Thread is bringing to the Gallery this fall. Common Thread explores the art of handwork–stitching, quilting, woodworking– by three distinct artists Marcia Ballou, Mia Cross, and Laura Petrovich-Cheney. Their vibrant works evoke a sense of lightness and familiarity, coming together on the Gallery walls to create a warm, inviting space for the fall season. The opening reception will be on Friday, September 25th from 6-8 pm. The artists will be in attendance and the public is welcome.

Marcia Ballou is a collage and stitched-fiber artist inspired by color, light, and the natural world. Through spontaneous and deliberate appliqué, she combines unexpected colors, shapes, and textures to create joyful compositions. This is the second collaboration with Ballou and the Savage Godfrey Gallery, the first was an exhibition at Boston Children’s Hospital’s Mini Art Museum titled PLAY in 2023. In 2025 Ballou earned two “Popular Prizes” for her mixed-media and fiber work from national exhibits at the North River Arts Society and Duxbury Art Association in 2026. Ballou is a graduate of Mills College, CA. She creates and resides in Marshfield, MA.

Mia Cross is a multidisciplinary artist working across painting, printmaking, sculpture, sewing, and murals. Inspired by color, the human figure, nature, and everyday moments, her work blends classical techniques with the craft and whimsy of folk art. Building on a vast portfolio of murals, Cross (in collaboration with the Savage Godfrey Gallery) created “The Car that Went Far” a two-wall illustrated mural and coloring book for the Boston Children’s Hospital Travel Vaccine Clinic. Cross graduated from Boston University with a BFA in Painting and Sculpture and is based in Providence, RI.

Laura Petrovich-Cheney is a sculptor who transforms salvaged architectural wood into quilt-inspired works exploring home, memory, loss, and renewal. Drawing on her background in fashion design, she incorporates traditions of pattern making and quilt construction while preserving the weathered histories of her materials. Based in Marblehead, MA, Petrovich-Cheney has exhibited nationally. Her solo exhibition, The Shape of Repair: Patchwork in Wood, is currently on view at UNC Asheville in NC

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