by Nathan Howard ’25
Corita Kent was an American pop artist, social justice advocate, and educator at Immaculate Heart College in Los Angeles, California. Corita’s artwork is well known for its vibrant use of color and overarching messages relating to justice and social equality. Corita’s career as an educator was defined by her unique teaching philosophy centered around the practices of close-looking and finding sources of inspiration through unconventional means.
At the heart of this philosophy, Corita firmly believed that everyone was born an artist, and therefore must harness the creativity that lies within them. As a teacher, Corita produced inventive assignments that taught students to be open-minded and acutely aware of their surroundings. Through class outings in the city streets of Los Angeles, Corita taught her students that inspiration can be found anywhere, and that everything can be used as a source for this inspiration. Additionally, Corita’s strict classroom assignments created a framework for which her students could understand the freedom to be creative. It is through her philosophy that Corita inspired her students to always become better. As Sister Rose Pacatte explained, “she pushed her students to go beyond their own self-consciousness that could block their creativity.”1 Corita’s unique teaching philosophy became evident in her own work as well. Her colorful serigraphs of the 1960s took inspiration from unconventional sources by appropriating promotional culture and advertising found by Corita in her everyday life. Because of this, Corita’s utilization of her own unique teaching methods solidified her role as a pop artist and her influential career as an art educator continues to inspire artists, teachers, and students alike.
1Rose Pacatte, Corita Kent: Gentle Revolutionary of the Heart (Liturgical Press, 2017), p. 16.
Immaculate Heart College Art Department designed by David Mekelburg, ca. 1967
Corita Collection, courtesy of Corita Art Center, corita.org
Interview with Mickey Myers
Nathan Howard ’25 interviews artist Mickey Myers, a former student of Corita Kent’s who became her lifelong friend. They discuss her teaching style and philosophy and its impact on Myers’ work. Myers shares stories of Corita’s mentorship and friendship. The interview was conducted by Nathan Howard, edited by Jackson McLeod ’25 with support from Rachelle Beaudoin. The music is by Fat Morgan.