Mary Corita Kent Auction Prices and Value Guide

Mary Corita Kent auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 1,038 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.

Mary Corita Kent auction prices: quick answer

Mary Corita Kent auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.

Artist
Mary Corita Kent
Source records
1,038
Market update
2026-02-06

Artist context

About Mary Corita Kent

Corita Kent (1918–1986), born Frances Elizabeth Kent in Fort Dodge, Iowa, was an American artist, printmaker, and educator best known for her vibrant screenprints that merge Pop-art aesthetics with messages of faith, social justice, and peace. She entered the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Los Angeles and took the name Sister Mary Corita. During her decades of religious life she taught at Immaculate Heart College, where her art department became an influential creative hub. Kent's work draws on advertising typography, poetry, and liturgical text, aligning her with the Pop-art movement while retaining a distinct activist voice. She left the order in 1968 and continued making art in Boston until her death in 1986. Her work is held in major museum collections including the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Pop artscreenprint / serigraphygraphic designprintmakingChristianity and spiritualitysocial justicetypography and text-based imagerypeace and anti-war themes

Common works and media

Kent's most commonly encountered works are screenprints on paper, often incorporating hand-lettered text, advertising slogans, biblical quotations, and political messages rendered in vivid Pop-art palettes. Posters, greeting cards, and book covers she designed for religious and secular publishers also appear in the secondary market. Less frequently, original paintings, mixed-media works, and large-format murals — such as her well-known Boston Gas tank commission — are documented. Collectors may also find exhibition catalogs and artist books she authored or illustrated.

Market and appraisal context

Corita Kent's secondary market is well established with 46 auction lots recorded by Appraisily between November 2010 and March 2026, of which 40 carry realized prices. The price distribution spans $47–$2,112 USD with a median of $600 and an interquartile range of $350–$850. John Moran Auctioneers dominates the recorded turnover and appears consistently across multi-lot consignments, suggesting a regional specialist channel (Southern California) that handles her work regularly. Additional houses include Skinner, Los Angeles Modern Auctions, Leonard Auction, Potomack Company, and South Bay Auctions, indicating broader but lower-frequency national exposure. Works from the early-to-mid 1960s—particularly titles with social-justice or liturgical text such as "Bread of Self Being" (1965, $2,112) and "Someday is Now" (1964, $1,848)—command the highest prices. Later works from the 1970s and early 1980s tend to realize lower but still accessible figures ($198–$627). Liquidity has softened recently: only 6 lots sold in the trailing 12 months compared with 14 in the prior 12 months, though this may reflect consignment cycles rather than declining demand. The market is firmly in the accessible-to-mid-range tier for Post-War & Contemporary Prints & Multiples.

Auction categories and appraisal factors

Common auction categories

  • Post-War & Contemporary Prints & Multiples
  • screenprint / serigraphy
  • printmaking
  • graphic design

Value drivers

  1. Edition size and numbering are important; many works were produced as screenprints in variable editions
  2. Condition is a significant factor, as screenprints on paper are vulnerable to fading, foxing, and handling damage
  3. Subject matter and period affect desirability; works from the 1960s with social-justice or Pop-art imagery tend to be most sought after
  4. Provenance and documentation from the Immaculate Heart College period or estate sources add value
  5. Large-scale public commissions, such as the Boston Gas tank mural, enhance name recognition and broader collector interest
  6. Period and title: 1960s screenprints with social-justice, liturgical, or Pop-art text imagery (e.g., "Bread of Self Being," "Someday is Now") consistently realize the highest prices; works from the late 1970s–1980s tend lower

Appraisal caveats

  • Market evidence in the source pack is limited; no major auction-house records were retrieved. Valuation observations are general and should be corroborated with specific comparable sales data.
  • The Appraisily dataset of 46 lots is sourced from auction-record feeds and may not capture every sale, particularly private transactions or results from houses not indexed in the feed.
  • John Moran Auctioneers accounts for a disproportionate share of recorded lots; price levels may be influenced by regional market dynamics in Southern California.
  • Six lots sold in the most recent 12 months compared with 14 in the prior 12 months—this decline in observed volume could reflect consignment timing rather than demand shifts.

Evidence

Sources for artist context

This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.

Source-grounded artist Markdown

Data basis

This page is built from Appraisily's public auction market index. Private transactions, incomplete sale feeds, and attribution changes may not be fully represented.

LLM-readable Markdown summary for Mary Corita Kent

LLM summary index · LLM full index

Artist value FAQ

How much is Mary Corita Kent worth?

Comparable public auction sales are the best starting point, but final value depends on the specific artwork, condition, size, medium, provenance, and attribution confidence.

Can Appraisily value my Mary Corita Kent artwork?

Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.