long-time member wins NH Art Association show

For the first time in her life, Signe Kaleel won first prize in a competition. The Jack and Dee Parfitt Memorial Exhibition is open to all area artists, though the show is hosted by the New Hampshire Arts Association. Kaleel, who now lives in Andover, Mass., has been a member of the association for 40 years.

The exhibition is currently up at the Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery on State Street in Portsmouth. The opening reception will be held on Friday, June 13, from 5 to 8 p.m., in conjunction with the city’s monthly art walk, Art ’Round Town. It will remain on display until June 29.

Kaleel’s artwork of cotton, wool and silk is called “Spring Unfurling.” The material centered inside the frame is sheer with crimped grey lines and solid green rectangles. There are curled threads of fabric, like fiddleheads with long stems, that form a nest at the bottom of the shadow box. A few wooden buttons with a flower pattern and clusters of small, red knots draw further attention.

Her inspiration for the work came in early spring, when the ground was still gray but fiddleheads began to emerge. The colors are elegant, the materials luxurious and the details intricate. Kaleel has been working with fibers recently and is excited about the results—a significant change from printmaking and painting. “I’m able to move a little sideways,” she said.

The 29th Parfitt exhibition was judged by Anne Zill, director of the art gallery at the University of New England in Portland, Maine. In her juror’s statement, Zill said she became hooked on pieces that appeared to be influenced by proximity to the sea. She said Kaleel’s piece reminded her of fishing nets, while the second place piece is a turtle and the third portrays a school of fish.

Kaleel was rejected from the last show she entered but said success in a juried show depends on how the juror looks at the artwork. She applauded her talented competitors, saying she’s seen the quality of art in the area improve over time.

Second place went to Jeff Forman for “Turtle Marinace,” a sculpture of natural stone. While it is artfully carved into a smooth and flowing shape, the stone itself is a work of art with its astounding colors. Robert Johnson Jr. won third place for “Piranha Armada,” a striking mixed media rendering of overlapping sunset-hued fish. Despite the work’s title, none of the fish appear threatening. 

Several honorable mentions were given out among the paintings, sculptures and photographs on display in three rooms of the gallery. Some pieces that did not receive awards also stand out, like a black and white photo by J.D. Lincoln with a figure distorted through a mess of drinking glasses, and Patricia Schappler’s larger-than-life charcoal drawing with mascara and foundation as media. It’s a privilege to view such a variety of creative endeavors coming out of the greater Seacoast.

Kaleel doesn’t make many pieces, since each takes her so much time and energy. “How does one create?” she said. “I get a headache. I stare at it for a long time. It looks very simple. The piece is minimalist, but it takes me a long time.”

She said she begins with sketches of her many ideas, and few become a final product. Despite the challenge, Kaleel wouldn’t want it any other way.

“I’ve always wanted to be an artist,” she said. “It’s the only thing I ever wanted to be.”

The Parfitt Memorial Competition exhibit runs through June 29 at the Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery, 136 State St., Portsmouth, 603-431-4230.