Haring's Pop Shop has been located at 292 Lafayette Street since 1986 when Haring, who embraced the idea of his artwork engaging popular culture, opened the doors to his unique and innovative retail environment. The original shop interior included Haring's floor to ceiling murals, which provided a pioneering clubhouse atmosphere for the sale of T-shirts, hats and other apparel and accessories bearing his well-known imagery. Haring, who viewed the Pop Shop as an extension of his work, stated:

"Here's the philosophy behind the Pop Shop: I wanted to continue the same sort of communication as with the subway drawings. I wanted to attract the same wide range of people and I wanted it to be a place where, yes, not only collectors could come, but also kids from the Bronx…this was still an art statement."

Following Haring's death from AIDS-related complications in 1990, the Keith Haring Foundation Inc., founded by the artist in 1989, continued the Pop Shop mission of reaching a broad audience through sales of Haring apparel, home and gift items. The store closure takes place in an attempt to minimize the increasingly overwhelming expenses associated with operating a retail venture. Currently, there are no plans to reopen the Pop Shop. Pop Shop merchandise, however, will continue to be available through international licensing and exhibition related projects.

Moving forward, the Keith Haring Foundation will continue to focus on increasing efforts to make Haring's art more accessible through public outreach and educational resources such as the Haring websites at www.haring.com and www.haringkids.com and through an ongoing international exhibition program. Upcoming exhibitions include the Fundacion ICO in Madrid opening in May 2005, Somerset House in London in June 2005, La Triennale di Milano in September 2005, and the Reading Public Museum in Pennsylvania in February 2006.

The Foundation will also continue its commitment to charitable giving, particularly to organizations that support children in need and people with HIV and AIDS. Among the many organizations that have benefited from the Foundation's grant programs are the Children's Village, the Association to Benefit Children, the Children's Storefront, the Boys Club of New York, the AIDS Project of Saint Luke in the Fields, God's Love We Deliver, and AMFAR.

The Pop Shop, located at 292 Lafayette Street between Houston and Prince Streets in downtown Manhattan, will continue to provide Haring merchandise through August 2005. Shop hours are Tuesday through Saturday, noon until 7:00 p.m. and Sunday, noon until 6:00 p.m. The Pop Shop can be reached by calling 212-219-2784 or 1-800-KHARING.

The Pop Shop website, located at www.Pop-Shop.com or by clicking on the Pop Shop icon at www.Haring.com, will discontinue on-line ordering as of July 15, 2005. From that point forward items will be available only at the Pop Shop until the closing at the end of August.

The Pop Shop and the Keith Haring Foundation wish to express their deepest gratitude to all past and present customers of the Pop Shop. It has been a great pleasure to serve the many friends and fans of Keith Haring.

For further information on Keith Haring, the Keith Haring Foundation Inc. and the Pop Shop please visit the websites at www.Haring.com and www.haringkids.com

Pop Shop and Design is a registered trademark of the Estate of Keith Haring.