Boston Partners supporter, artist Corita Kent beside her Rainbow Swash design on the Boston Gas tank. BPS Students would later paint first ceremonial swaths on new gas tank.
A contemporary of Andy Warhol and a pioneer of the Pop Art movement in the 1960’s, artist Corita Kent (also referred to as Sister Corita) was known as much for her imaginative style of serigraphs as she was for her passion for social justice and education. The artist behind the “Rainbow Swash” design on the Boston Gas Tank in Dorchester, Corita left her mark, not only on the city of Boston, but on Boston Partners in Education directly.
In the 1970’s, Corita donated a number of her art works to Boston Partners in Education in support of Boston’s public school students. After a terrible fire destroyed our old building and all of her donated prints in 1981, Corita generously replaced the art, providing a beacon of hope for the organization.
Corita’s connection to Boston Partners continued in the years that followed, as the paint chips from her original “Rainbow Swash” were stored in lucite cubes and sold to benefit the organization. [Note: You can still purchase one today through our online Corita Kent auction.]
Last year, Boston Partners’ Executive Director, Pamela Civins, participated in the oral history project, StoryCorps, recounting the story of Corita Kent’s involvement with our organization. The discussion with former Boston Partners staff member Kathy Baublis, a contemporary of Corita’s, can be heard in the StoryCorps podcast below.
To learn more about Sister Corita Kent, visit corita.org