Laura Petrovich-Cheney, Big Deal, 2015, salvaged wood from Hurricane Sandy.
What Remains features the “scrap quilts” of New Jersey artist Laura Petrovich-Cheney. Using traditional and contemporary quilt patterns, Petrovich-Cheney creates complex and vibrant forms from Hurricane Sandy debris that was salvaged by the artist from dumpsters, refuse piles, and local waste stations. Her meaningful practice explores issues of loss, identity, memory, and renewal. Ultimately, the work symbolizes the beauty of enduring misfortune and creating something meaningful from the wreckage. The exhibition opened on October 29, 2016, the four-year anniversary of the day Hurricane Sandy hit the New Jersey shore.