Mary Marguerite Dill was born on March 19, 1913, in Sonoma, California. She was the middle child of Eugene and Lucy Dill. The family moved to Calistoga and later settled in Los Altos Hills, where Mary’s talent was recognized by her art teacher. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the California College of Arts and Crafts in 1938 after working various jobs to finance her education. That year, she exhibited at the Oakland Art Museum.
Mary married Wilbur Henry in 1940. After working as a teacher in Iowa, she returned to California and had her first child, Suzanne, in 1944. Influenced by a lecture from László Moholy-Nagy at Mills College, she studied with him in Chicago at the Institute of Design in 1945 and graduated with a Master of Fine Arts in 1946. Shortly before his death, he invited her to join the faculty, marking a significant moment in her career.
Henry’s early work included landscape lithographs characterized by precise detailing, which evolved after her divorce in 1966. She embraced geometric abstraction and became a prominent artist in the Pacific Northwest, establishing her reputation through several retrospectives. She received significant honors, including the Flintridge Award in 2001 and the Twining Humber Award in 2006.
In 1982, Mary settled on Whidbey Island, Washington, increasingly influenced by her travels and nature, particularly gardens. Her work included distinct series such as the Striped series (1985-1995) and the Color of Memory series (1990-2000), noted for their optical effects and emotional depth.
Mary passed away in 2009, remembered as a visionary artist whose meticulously crafted works reflected the optimism of Modernism and a deep connection to the world around her. Her work is held in public collections including the Seattle Art Museum and the Portland Art Museum.