WORCESTER, Mass. – September 25, 2023 – The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Art Gallery at the College of the Holy Cross is pleased to present the exhibition “Always Be Around: Corita Kent, Community, and Pedagogy.” Featuring the work of Corita Kent (1918-1986), a pop artist, educator, social justice advocate and former religious sister, the exhibition will run from Oct. 2 through Dec. 5 in the Gallery’s new home within the Prior Performing Arts Center.
The exhibition is guest-curated by Rachelle Beaudoin, Professor of Practice in the Department of Visual Arts at Holy Cross. An opening lecture and reception are scheduled for Oct. 5 at 4 p.m.
Corita Kent’s art will appear alongside the works of contemporary artists showing her continued influence upon younger generations. Breanne Trammell, Mary Banas, Lukaza Branfman-Verissimo, Roz Crews, Jen Delos Reyes, Christine Sun Kim, Jorge Lucero, Mary Lum, Maria del Carmen Montoya, Aaron Rose and Lee Walton will all be featured.
A Massachusetts resident also known as Sister Mary Corita, Corita Kent created serigraph prints by combining imagery from advertising and newspapers with text ranging from Bible verses to slogans, song lyrics and literature.
By pairing Corita’s work with a contemporary response, the exhibition will explore how her communal and collaborative processes paved the way for other artists, each of whom
integrates teaching and collective activism into their practice. This exhibition paints a full picture of Corita as a pioneer and precursor to the work of other artists. The artists in the exhibition will engage with the community in the creation of art through events, classes, workshops and performances.
Corita’s art builds upon her reputation as an outstanding and innovative educator. The exhibition connects her teaching practice to the work of contemporary socially engaged art and artist educators. Corita asked her students to look carefully and to draw and redraw. Her students looked at the world differently to frame what is normally overlooked. She wanted them to use anything and everything as a source for art making. She taught and lived the idea that “to create means to relate.”
“As an artist and an educator, I kept coming back to Corita’s Kent’s work, especially in challenging times,” Beaudoin said. “I knew that other artists had a similar respect and admiration for her work and I saw her influence in the work of other artists. It is exciting to bring together this group of artists and to view their work through the lens of Corita Kent’s varied practice.”
This exhibition has been awarded support from the Greater Worcester Community
Foundation. Nathan Howard, ‘25, a Weiss Summer Research Fellow, also contributed to the exhibition. Special thanks to Olivian Cha and Nellie Scott of Corita Art Center for their support of this exhibition. For more information on Corita Kent, visit Corita Art Center, Los Angeles, corita.org.