The Pasadena Museum of California Art (PMCA) holds a panel discussion on Saturday focusing on the work and legacy of influential Southern California designer Corita Kent. PMCA’s In Dialogue series features several “We Have No Art” events and panels leading up to the museum’s major exhibition, Someday is Now: The Art of Corita Kent, which opens in June 2015.
Saturday’s panel is moderated by writer Alissa Walker and includes Otis College of Art and Design Faculty Juliette Bellocq and CalArts faculty Louise Sandhaus—both of whom are graduates of the MFA Program in Graphic Design at CalArts. Also on the panel is Jan Steward, one of Kent’s former students, who co-authored the book Learning by Heart: Teachings to Free the Creative Spirit, based on Kent’s graphic design work.
Kent’s story in L.A. design circles is legendary. She was first known as Sister Mary Corita, a nun who headed the art department at the now-defunct Immaculate Heart College in Los Angeles. Her designs and serigraphs became immensely popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Although she left her religious order in 1968, Kent’s spirituality infused her art, along with her politics, as she was known for her dedication to civil rights, feminist and anti-war causes.
While Kent, who died in 1986, might not be a household name, her designs may be more recognizable. Her most widely distributed work was the 1985 “Love” stamp, issued by the U.S. Postal Service.
Event Details
Corita Kent Panel Discussion
In Dialogue | We Have No Art
Pasadena Museum of California Art
490 East Union St., Pasadena
Oct. 11 at 3 pm
Free with museum admission ($5-$7)