Corita Kent, (1918-1986) also known as Sister Mary Corita, was an artist who created serigraphs (silkscreen prints), often using text from a variety of sources including literature, bible verses, advertisements and pop culture. She was also a highly revered arts educator who championed a collaborative studio approach and was known for her celebratory events and innovative assignments. Corita’s practice can be viewed as a precursor to contemporary socially engaged art and her continued influence is evident in the work of the contemporary artists featured in this exhibition. Presenting a range of approaches to teaching, close looking, social justice and collaboration, these artists seek to build community or employ pedagogical practices in their work.
By asking her students to look carefully, to focus on what is normally overlooked, to use anything and everything as a source for art making, Corita taught and lived the idea that “to create means to relate.”
Corita used her work to advocate for social justice. Her prints address political issues of the 1960s including race, poverty and war. Many artists in the exhibition similarly investigate and question social structures and oppressive systems.
In 1968, after a teaching sabbatical, she left the Immaculate Heart of Mary order moving to Boston to lead a secular life. Her message of radical love still inspires and resonates today.
-Rachelle Beaudoin, Guest Curator
-Hannah Moore, Gallery Fellow
Supporters and Contributors:
- Nathan Howard ’25, Weiss Summer Research Fellow
- Jackson MacLeod ’25, Research Associate
- Nellie Scott and Olivian Cha, Corita Art Center
- Greater Worcester Community Foundation
(Photos by Michael Ivins and Matthew Gamber.)