About Haring

Bio

A one-page biography of Keith Haring’s life, including his childhood in Kutztown, PA, his move to NY to study at SVA, his early influences and his subsequent emergence as a major artist of the 1980s.
Continue Reading

Beginnings

Part 1 of In His Own Words

Keith was born to Joan and Allen Haring on May 4, 1958. He grew up in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, the oldest of four siblings. His artistic leanings were evident from a very early age.
Continue Reading

To New York

Keith Haring, Subway, 1982

Part 2 of In His Own Words

Keith arrived in New York in 1978 as a scholarship student at the School of Visual Arts. All at once, he began to experience a multicultural urban community with its own expressive vocabulary; a lively environment in which to explore …
Continue Reading

Success

Installation Shot, Shafrazi Gallery, New York, 1982

Part 3 of In His Own Words

Shows at P.S. 122 and Club 57 added to the visibility Keith had gained through his subway drawings and street graffiti. Growing recognition of his work brought Keith more money and new opportunities, but it brought new pressures into his …
Continue Reading

Transitions

Keith Haring in front of Pisa Mural, 1989

Part 4 of In His Own Words

In April 1986, Keith opened the Pop Shop, a retail store in New York. He explains his philosophy in selling his art through a commercial venue: “My work was starting to become more expensive and more popular within the art …
Continue Reading