1.1 min readBy Published On: August 25th, 2015Categories: Arts and Entertainment, Lifestyle2 Comments on Tales Behind the Tank

Written by Mairead McGonagle 

It’s more than just a gas tank. The National Grid water tank (or as I have always called it, The Rainbow Tank) located alongside I-93 doubles as an eye-catching gateway into our city. Once you pass its bright, rainbow hues, you know the tall buildings, bright lights, and cityscapes aren’t too far behind. 

Next week, the Harvard Art Museums will open a special exhibition on Corita Kent and the Language of Pop. Kent lived in Boston from 1968 until her death in 1986 and in 1971, created the bold, pop art “Rainbow Swash” design for the Boston Gas (now National Grid) tank. The signature “Corita” still remains at the bottom of the tank today and the artwork has lived on to become a Boston staple. 

The museums are also prepping to welcome StoryCorps, the national oral history project, to campus. On September 4,5, and 6 Boston residents & fans can share their very own experiences of the tank and Corita’s work. They’re encouraging those with local knowledge of Corita or Southie/Dorchester residents with memories of the local landmark to lend their stories for future generations.

Interested? Sign up and learn more  here and visit Harvard Art Museums to read more about Corita Kent & her work. 

 

2 Comments

  1. bobby August 28, 2015 at 3:00 am

    its a gas tank.

  2. Drew Hannigan August 28, 2015 at 4:35 pm

    Nothing in this story about it being the largest copyrighted work of art in the world, or the controversial Ho Chi Minh profile in the blue stripe?  C'mon.

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