#  Crossings Gallery - Maria Cuneo: Transforming Cloth 

 



##  Rethreaded: Transforming Cloth 

 At the Gallery Mar 2-Apr 9 

artist: **Maria Cuneo**

What would happen if we found a way to transform our old textiles into something new and beautiful instead of throwing them away? Local artist Maria Cuneo offers a glimpse into the possibilities of fabric upcycling through this collection of fiber arts pieces. Featuring works of intricately detailed embroidery, hand sewn spirals of braided cloth, and lovingly crafted plush animals, this exhibition challenges our current notions of trash and art while inviting viewers to examine consumption, waste, and creative practice.



 

 [ Up Next | Harvard Staff Art Show, April 16-May 14 arrow\_circle\_right ](https://staffartshow.harvard.edu/) 

 

       ![maria cuneo embroidery artwork named wall spiral 1](/sites/g/files/omnuum12051/files/styles/hwp_21_9__1920x825/public/2026-02/IMG_9767%20-%20resized%20for%20website.jpg?h=4c2780e3&itok=kuoiVV1Y) 

 

 



 

 



 

### Meet the Artist 

 

**Maria Cuneo** is a mixed media fiber artist based in Allston-Brighton, specializing in embroidery and cloth sculpture as well as painting and drawing. Often working with upcycled and at times unconventional materials, she dabbles in a wide variety of craft mediums, bringing an experimental and exploratory quality to both display pieces and functional objects. Her work has been featured in Boston University’s Newbury Center and Silber Way Art Exhibitions, E Drumm Designs Gallery, Allston’s Rat City Arts Festivals, as well as in private local art spaces. She holds a degree in Psychology and Biological Anthropology from Boston University and is passionate about environmentalism and anti consumerism. Maria is the lead singer of *Salty Greyhound*.



 



      ![Headshot of artist Maria Cuneo wearing glasses and smiling](/sites/g/files/omnuum12051/files/styles/hwp_1_1__480x480/public/2026-01/Maria%20Cuneo%20-%20arts%202026.png?itok=PZlDU5Tz) 

 

 

  

 



 

 

 

##  Artist Statement 

My exhibition is a collection of pieces made from thread and upcycled cloth which demonstrate the possibilities of producing art from discarded materials. Put off by overconsumption, fast hits of dopamine, and the destruction of our natural world, I wanted to find a way to both unplug and divert waste from landfills by diving into laboriously beautifying discarded cloth.

 

 





###    Read more from the artist  expand\_more  

 

As I began to create artwork from old textile scraps and clothing that no longer fit me, friends and family members began to give me their unwanted cloth articles they would otherwise be throwing into the trash as well. Torn T-shirts, stained cloth napkins, and strips of felt from an experiment in puppet-making all became fodder for my projects and I challenged myself to utilize every bit I could. I used embroidery floss to render images of plants and animals, feeling inspired by nature’s delicate beauty which the fast fashion industry and other facets of consumerism threaten to destroy. Pieces of cloth that were texturally unfit for embroidering were reborn as small stuffed animals or woven into large, colorful spirals reminiscent of early American braided rugs. Sacred Hearts, my most intensive work of embroidery, was stitched over a period of months onto an off-white scrap of muslin leftover from a sewing project and offset by some yarn remnants my grandmother found stashed in an attic. I then presented the work in a frame I found discarded on the street. Investing countless hours of repetitive stitching to work closely with these materials helped me feel like I was breathing new life into something previously deemed worthless while also allowing myself space to decompress and tune in to the rewarding sensations of creation.

Harkening back to the dying arts of hand stitching, embroidery, and allowing nothing to go to waste, I hope these works inspire others to consider alternative paths to the endless and unfulfilling cycle of buying and discarding. It is possible to be satisfied with what we already have, to flex our creative muscles and to stretch our patience and attention through engagement with art forms too often written off as prohibitively laborious, intensive, and slow.



 

 

 



 

 

 

 

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##  About Crossings Gallery 

The Crossings Gallery showcases work by contemporary Allston-Brighton, Harvard, and Boston artists, complemented by artist talks, panel discussions, and interactive workshops. Open during Harvard Ed Portal hours, the gallery also features street-facing exhibitions for public viewing anytime.  
  
Previous Exhibitions:

[*Plankton Paintings: Footprints of the Invisible* by Jess Holz](/crossings-gallery-jessica-holz "Crossings Gallery - Jessica Holz")  
[*Reaching through Fog: Opaque Paintings* by Yi Cynthia Chen](https://edportal.harvard.edu/crossings-gallery-chen)  
[*Familiar Faces| Living Spaces* by Hugo Nakashima-Brown](https://edportal.harvard.edu/crossings-gallery-hugo)