Letters and Layers: Inspired Poster Printing

Join us for a festive evening of printing multi-layered posters inspired by the work of artist Sister Corita Kent and artworks in Helpful Hints: A Corita Kent Print Exchange Portfolio by Black Rock Press, currently on display in Pyramid’s Press On exhibition. 

After a brief introduction by Exhibitions Coordinator, Jeana Foley, attendees will make their way into the Screenprinting and Letterpress studios. Under the guidance of teaching artists Jeanette Bolden and Theresa Esterlund, guests will create a variety of unique posters by layering screenprinted graphic designs with letterpress typography to create uplifting motivational messages to celebrate the joy of community and art. The fun will be in how the different layers interact, creating a wide variety of beautiful outcomes!

In addition to printing, participants will also have an opportunity to browse the Press On exhibition in Pyramid’s gallery, including the Black Rock Press prints that inspired the event, watch a brief documentary introduction about Sister Corita Kent in the main classroom, and enjoy light refreshments throughout the evening.

Level: All levels are welcome—no previous screenprinting or letterpress experience is needed.

Registration closes July 11, 2025 at 12 noon and all materials are provided.

More about the inspiration behind this event!

Sister Corita Kent (1918–1986), was a pop art, social justice, and design legend whose typographic, screenprinted creations transmitted important, accessible messages to the world from her post in Los Angeles during the turbulent era of the 1960s and 70s.

Black Rock Press, located in Department of Art at the University of Nevada, Reno, organized a letterpress print exchange among 10 artists to recreate the powerful yet playful ideas about art-making from Sister Corita Kent’s well known “Immaculate Heart College Art Department Rules,” popularly known as “the Ten Rules.” Kent’s rules act as a creative road map for those on the artistic path of discovery—where breaking the rules and experimentation are key. 

Featured image: Display photo of the Helpful Hints: A Corita Kent Print Exchange Portfolio by Black Rock Press