A Closer Look: June Wayne, Corita Kent, and a New Age for Printmaking @ Legion of Honor

In the 1950s, the newly established Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts became an important advocate of trailblazing American printmakers by acquiring and exhibiting their early work. Based in Los Angeles, artists Sister Corita Kent (1918–1986) and June Wayne (1918–2011, founder of Tamarind Lithography Workshop) helped catalyze a vibrant and experimental period of printmaking in the postwar era. They also trained a generation of contemporary printmakers. This lecture takes a closer look at how the Achenbach Foundation supported these artists’ early careers, illuminating the important role played by the department’s cofounder, Hazel Jacobs Achenbach (1882–1962), and its first director, Irene Lagorio (1921–1994).  

This lecture will be recorded and available to watch on this web page after the event.

About the curator

Margot Yale is assistant curator of prints and drawings at the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. She is responsible for the collection of 20th- and 21st-century works on paper. Yale has held positions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Getty Research Institute, and the Museum of Modern Art, among others. A specialist in modern and contemporary American printmaking, she received her PhD in art history from the University of Southern California and holds a BA in art history from Princeton University.

About the “A Closer Look” series

This program is part of our “A Closer Look” series, a curatorial lecture series exploring the development of our collections and their art historical significance. The series features in-depth presentations that highlight collection gems while demystifying creative practices that span thousands of years.