Sister Corita KentDamn everything but the circus

Corita KentA sister of the order of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Her art reflects her spirituality, her commitment to social justice, her hope for peace, and her delight in the world.

Cultural Miner

• Used popular culture (song lyrics & advertisements) as raw material for her meaning-filled bursts of text and color

• “I am not brave enough to not pay my income tax and risk going to jail. But I can say rather freely what I want to say with my art.”

Servant Leader

• Corita Kent was a teacher and chairman of the Immaculate Heart College Art Department.

• Buckminster Fuller described his visit to the department as “among the most fundamentally inspiring experiences of my life.”

Artist / Teacher• August was Corita’s time for her

own art making.

• She suffered from chronic insomnia, which aided her productivity.

• She was also plagued by mental illness, specifically clinical depression.

• In 1968 she left the Order and dedicated her life to making art. She made over 400 serigraphs over the next 18 years.

• She died in 1986 of cancer.