I’ve long adored the vibrant serigraphs of artist Corita Kent. Many women in my family attended Immaculate Heart High School in Los Angeles and my Grandmother Rita’s home in California has Corita prints scattered throughout. Rita had the opportunity to meet Corita when she was young and her sister, my great-aunt Joan, knew Corita well. For those of you that aren’t familiar with her work, Kent was a Sister of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and a widely successful artist in the 1960’s and 70’s. Kent’s work is not only beautiful to look at (her bold colors make me swoon), but is also charged with themes of social justice, spirituality and her never-faltering prayer for peace. As chairman of the famous Immaculate Heart College Art Department, Corita and her students printed serigraphs designs by the hundreds, often borrowing from popular culture such as Beatles’ lyrics. In 1968 Corita left the order and moved to Boston where she focused on her art entirely until her death to cancer in 1986. Her work is now part of the collection at the Museum of Modern Art. I recently purchased several original Corita posters from the 1960’s and am eagerly awaiting their arrival. They remind me of home and I think will be the perfect addition to the blank walls of my new apartment. After all, a message of love and peace is never outdated.
To learn more visit the Corita Art Center >>>
