Keith Haring

Keith Haring was an artist who wanted everyone to see and enjoy art. He was born in Pennsylvania in 1958. He drew simple, bold figures outlined in thick black lines. His art was full of energy and movement. Dancing people, crawling babies, and barking dogs filled his work. Haring started by drawing with chalk on blank subway posters in New York City. He believed art was for everyone, not just people who go to fancy galleries.

Subway Art

In the early 1980s, Haring noticed blank black panels in New York subway stations where posters had been removed. He started drawing on them with white chalk. Subway riders would stop and watch him work. He drew quickly, finishing a drawing in just a few minutes. He made hundreds of these subway drawings. People loved them. Soon, art collectors and galleries noticed his work too.

Art for Everyone

Haring believed that art should not be hidden away in museums. He painted murals on buildings and walls around the world. He made art for children's hospitals and schools. He opened a store called the Pop Shop where people could buy T-shirts and posters with his designs for low prices. Haring died young at age 31, but his colorful, joyful art lives on all over the world.

Fun Facts

• Haring could draw one of his famous figures in just a few seconds without lifting his chalk.
• He painted a mural on the Berlin Wall in 1986 before it came down.
• Haring's Crack is Wack mural in New York City is still standing and has become a famous landmark.

Did You Know?

Keith Haring once said that art is for everybody, and he opened a Pop Shop in New York where regular people could afford to buy his art!