Held on November 20, Corita Kent’s birthday, at the Prior Performing Arts Center for “Mary’s Day 1964 Reenactment (2023) / Food For Peace / Challenge to Change was organized by artist Roz Crews (@rozcrews) as part of the exhibition at the Cantor Art Gallery called “Always Be Around: Corita Kent, Community and Pedagogy” curated by faculty member Rachelle Beaudoin. Through food, celebration, a parade, and speeches, this event was meant to further revolutionize Corita’s original Mary’s Day event into a celebration of gender inclusivity. Food brings us together, and with that togetherness, we aim for a wider embrace of LGBTQIA+ people. An extension of respect and dignity for all as the only approach to PEACE ON EARTH. Mary’s Day celebration was an annual event at Immaculate Heart College where Corita Kent worked as a professor. Consisting of mass and a processional to honor the Virgin Mary, this tradition was transformed by Corita into a lively, colorful celebration meant to inspire and empower participants. She stated one goal of the event was to make Mary more relevant to contemporary times. Though no direct connection to the Women’s movement was made, there were feminist undertones to the event.
Photos by Ben Conant
Mary’s Day celebration was an annual event at Immaculate Heart College. Consisting of mass and a processional to honor the Virgin Mary, this tradition was transformed by Corita into a lively, colorful celebration meant to inspire and empower participants.
For the 1964 Mary’s Day event, Corita enlisted students to create posters, banners and flower crowns. Students collected quotations to make into signs for the event, often incorporating discarded product packaging and signage from the Market Basket supermarket located across the street from the college . The resulting procession looked like a cross between a protest and a parade. When Corita took over Mary’s Day preparations in the mid-60s, she encouraged students and faculty to embrace themes that called attention to social issues including war and poverty. Corita stated one goal of the event was to make Mary more relevant to contemporary times. Though no direct connection to the Women’s movement was made, there were feminist undertones to the event.
Contemporary socially engaged art, also known as social practice art, takes a cue from Mary’s Day. Socially engaged art involves community coming together, artists as lead organizers, participants making pieces of a whole, and a move towards social justice or activism. Social interaction is integral to the piece or is the piece itself. Together with the artist Jorge Lucero, Holy Cross faculty created images and lists for the piece in this exhibition. Artist Roz Crews will create Mary’s Day (1964) Reenactment 2023 with the Holy Cross Community on November 20, 2023, Corita Kent’s Birthday, which is celebrated as Corita Day in Los Angeles and Boston.