LOS ANGELES — In the circus alphabet (1968) series by the late artist Sister Corita Kent, the letter “T” stands for “tight rope.” Each of the 30 serigraph prints within this series showcases a different letter, with the “T” print notably featuring the phrase “High Wire Artists” alongside elegantly dressed figures striding across taut, precarious lines. This metaphor resonates deeply, evoking the image of Corita herself, an inspiring figure straddling various identities. Until her passing in 1976, Corita was a member of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Hollywood, deftly balancing roles as an art teacher, Roman Catholic nun, activist, and artist. Her bold activism often put her at odds with Los Angeles’ conservative Cardinal James Francis McIntyre, who regularly challenged her reformist views and outspoken artwork.
Currently on display at the Marciano Art Foundation (MAF), Corita Kent: Sorcery of Images presents the artist’s work against a backdrop of challenging institutional complexities. Situated in a grand, repurposed Scottish Rite Masonic Temple, MAF has faced controversies since 2017, including scrutiny over its lack of transparency and accountability. Notably, in 2019, it closed its doors shortly after part-time staff initiated a unionization effort and continues to grapple with allegations that it functions more as a tax shelter than a public-serving entity, with the Los Angeles Times reporting on the absence of a governing board.
The exhibition features a collection of screenprints and serigraphs displayed in the lobby, library, and nearby rooms. The main installation, “Corita Kent: Sorcery of Images” (2025), takes center stage in a large theater gallery on the ground floor, where three sizable screens present selections from the artist’s previously unseen photographic archive. The displayed artwork is less overtly didactic or political than Corita’s own persona. It embodies a message encouraging trust in the viewer’s ability to forge personal connections, a sentiment echoed in her own words as noted in the exhibition’s press release. The installation resembles the lecture slide presentations Corita used as an educator, while also harkening back to the classrooms of the former Masonic Temple where the order’s profound religious teachings took place.
The arrangement of the installation fosters an accumulation of meaning through associative connections rather than through direct arguments. The screens play a dynamic presentation, interweaving documentary captures of everyday life with highlights of Corita’s activism. Natural associations form through the montage style of the display: recurring visuals of kites and jubilant balloons from the sisters’ Mary’s Day parade contrast beautifully against clear blue skies, reminiscent of scenes showing Corita’s sisters at protests with their habits striking against the vibrant backdrop. This imagery reveals their activism infused with a sense of joyful ritual, celebrating events as sacred as traditional religious holidays.
Within circus alphabet, “W” signifies “what women know.” Its accompanying line is borrowed from an E. E. Cummings poem which proclaims, “damn everything that is… unrisking, inward turning.” While this particular exhibition may take few risks, it offers a valuable glimpse into the artist’s life as outward-focused—intertwined with complex institutions. Corita found ways to instill the sacred within conflict: in 1964, she introduced a significant anti-war billboard that coupled her activist artistry with the ubiquitous commercial street signage. She described it as “the most religious thing I have ever done.”
Corita Kent: The Sorcery of Images is being showcased at the Marciano Art Foundation (4357 Wilshire Boulevard, Windsor Square, Los Angeles) until January 24, 2026.
