Keith Haring: A Public Thing

In 1989, Keith Haring was invited to paint a mural at ArtCenter’s Hillside Campus in honor of the second annual World AIDS Day (then called AIDS Awareness Day) and as part of the first-ever Day Without Art. Haring agreed (with the stipulation that the mural remain in place until AIDS has been eradicated) and spent two days painting freehand in front of an audience of students awed by Haring’s vision - at once joyful and playfully foreboding - unfolding before their eyes. The untitled work, which has become a literal centerpiece of the College’s Hillside Campus, remains the first and last mural Haring would paint in Los Angeles.
In conjunction with the Broad Museum’s recently launched exhibition, "Keith Haring: Art is for Everybody," ArtCenter President Karen Hofmann hosted a panel and screening in celebration of the spirit of Haring’s commitment to making art accessible to as wide an audience as possible.
This short film pairs animation and archival video with exclusive audio of Haring reflecting on his approach to the mural he painted and the meaning behind his public work.
It’s a riveting piece of historically significant content anyone interested in Keith Haring’s legacy won’t want to miss.
Lauren Mahoney - Director/Editor
@LFMLauren
Jun Ha - Animator
@artofjun
Cameron Stallones - Composer
Jack McEntee - Graphics
© Keith Haring Foundation
© Tseng Kwong Chi