‘Foraging’ art on the New Hampshire seacoast

“We’re using these mediums as a way to slow down and take in pieces of the environment around us.”

-Alexandra Jutras ’19

When Alexandra Jutras ’19 interviewed for a gallery sales position at the New Hampshire Art Association (NHAA) a few years back, she knew the organization’s executive director was a Clarkie. After the interview with Amanda Kidd-Kestler (née Kidd-Schall) ’11, Jutras realized the two shared more in common than just their alma mater.

Both artists are strongly influenced by nature. Both exhibited their art at ArtsWorcester during college. They lived in adjoining houses while at Clark, albeit several years apart, and their cats were both adopted from the Worcester Animal Rescue League.

Now they are featured in “Forage,” an upcoming exhibit at the NHAA, a non-profit art gallery dedicated to presenting and supporting emerging regional art and artists. Kidd-Kestler majored in studio art and minored in geography at Clark, which has shaped her artwork, particularly the ceramic pieces for this exhibition.

“‘Forage’ is about our connection to nature and foraging. Finding leaves and textures and patterns on these natural materials is something that we find inspiring,” Kidd-Kestler says. Jutras is exhibiting her painting and printmaking. The three-artist exhibition also features work by Elise Morissette, a printmaker and poet.

“We all include preservation within our work,” says Jutras, who majored in media, culture, and the arts. “Amanda forages for a lot of the materials that she includes in her pieces. I collect leaves, which I embed in my paintings. Elise also uses foraged elements in her printmaking.

“We’re using these mediums as a way to slow down and take in pieces of the environment around us,” she adds.

Kidd-Kestler began working at the NHAA in 2021. Jutras now works full-time in another marketing role but continues to serve as a board advisor for the organization. She is also part of the Fledgling: Artists Under 30 program, designed to aid emerging artists as they navigate the art world. Kidd-Kestler has become her mentor.

“It’s been great to work together on this exhibition because I’ve been thinking about all of the advice that I wanted to get when I was a young person and all of the opportunities that shaped me,” Kidd-Kestler says. She has shared her studio at Chase’s Garage in York, Maine, with Jutras, which Jutras says is immensely helpful.

“These opportunities are helping me solidify my path as an artist moving forward,” Jutras says.

Kidd-Kestler and Jutras also describe being similarly shaped by Clark and Worcester.

“A big part of how Clark shaped me is the Worcester community. I was involved in a lot of grassroots activism and participated in the Worcester underground music scene,” Kidd-Kestler says. “I got a taste of what it’s like to have an idea or a project that you really want to see happen and find the community to help you do it.”

Kidd-Kestler curated “The Show About Toys” with a friend in the Traina Center for the Arts second-floor gallery in 2011. Opening the exhibition to the Worcester community — and seeing event coverage in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette — made the experience special.

“Clark taught me the importance of accessibility to art spaces and academic spaces, which are often intimidating and have a barrier to entry,” she says.

Jutras worked at the Traina Center for the Arts and the Jean McDonough Arts Center as a student.

“I am the person I always wanted to be because of my experiences in Worcester,” Jutras says. “Being at Clark and having that really strong foundation in community just makes you see the world completely differently.”

At the NHAA, Kidd-Kestler has kept Clark’s ethos in mind, crafting an exhibition calendar with events that encourage diversity and acceptance within the New Hampshire community of Seacoast.

The gallery’s work with Seacoast Outright, an organization that supports and advocates for queer youth, is exciting to Kidd-Kestler, who believes art has the power to influence culture and change young people’s lives. The NHAA is also hosting an exhibit titled “No Longer Brushed Aside” as a part of their new Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Belonging program, featuring an eight-week training for artists and focused art practice.

“I truly believe in the power of art to bring people together and hopefully change the world for the better,” Kidd-Kestler says.