Published intermittently by the Immaculate Heart College art department from 1956 - 1963, the “irregular bulletin” was a newsletter edited by the inimitable Sister Magdalen Mary, announcing the various activities and accomplishments of the students and faculty, including Corita, who succeeded Sister Magdalen Mary as head of the art department. So what was it, you ask? The “irregular bulletin” was initially comprised of a few pages of printed paper announcing departmental news, but it then quickly evolved into a longer and broader publication, with a distinct graphic style that in many ways presaged the formation of contemporary zines.

In this video, we hear from Juliette Bellocq and Hermine Lees, two women who collect the “irregular bulletin” and appreciate the unique creativity and ideas of Sister Magdalen Mary. Juliette Bellocq is a graphic designer who runs Handbuilt Studio, a practice dedicated to design for education, culture and activism. She designed the Immaculate Heart Community’s “irregular bulletin”-inspired 2019 Annual Report. Hermine Lees is a member of the Immaculate Heart Community. When asked to describe her relationship to Sister Magdalen Mary, she wrote, “a devoted student, sincere friend and caring helper in all her wild and wonderful endeavors.” 

Thanks to a grant from California Revealed, all issues of the “irregular bulletin” will soon be digitized. Stay tuned for details.

Corita Art Center is a project of the Immaculate Heart Community. Read their 2019 Annual Report, inspired by the “irregular bulletin,” here. 

We’ve launched a new video series inspired by Corita Kent and Jan Steward’s seminal text, Learning by Heart: Teachings to Free the Creative Spirit. This video introduces the main concepts in Learning by Heart – looking, sources, structure, connect + create, work + play, and celebrations. Over the next few months, we will be posting videos by artists around the world, who will share how they engage with these ideas in their own creative practice. If you want to brush up on a specific topic, they are all posted as individual videos as well. We hope you enjoy the series!

In 1985, the US Post Office released the Love Stamp designed by Corita Kent. This is the lesser-known story behind Corita’s most well-known work.

Now streaming, the inaugural event of The Great Humans Series, featuring Roxane Gay and Abbi Jacobson in conversation at Second Home Hollywood. The event is a reboot of the “Great Men Series,” a lecture series organized by Corita and the Immaculate Heart College Art Department in the 1960s. Lisa Congdon kicked off the event and set the stage for the unmoderated evening. What followed was a generous and engaging conversation between two creative women on topics ranging from the elusive work/life balance and the challenges of social media, to morning routines and the educators, friends, and family members who have encouraged their journey. We hope you enjoy watching these inspiring women, and stay tuned for an announcement about the next event in the series, coming this April!