An expansive exhibition at The Broad celebrates the iconic art of Keith Haring through over 120 pieces of art and archival materials. It's the first museum exhibition in Los Angeles to explore Haring's groundbreaking art and his impact on the contemporary art world. Fittingly, the exhibit is running at a time when Haring's close friend Jean-Michel Basquiat is also getting the spotlight next door in his own show at the Grand LA.
Titled Art is for Everybody, the exhibition runs through October 8, 2023, and is an incredible way to see the wide scope of Haring's work. Haring, who moved to New York City to study art in 1978, saw art as something that should engage the public. And from his earliest subway drawings, he was keen to use his talent to make his art accessible. Working as part of New York's counterculture scene, Haring found himself in the mix with creatives like Basquiat, Kenny Scharf, and Andy Warhol.
Eli and Edythe Broad were early collectors of Haring's work, purchasing their first pieces in 1982. This early support makes The Broad a perfect fit for the exhibition. Major works held in the Broad collection, such as Untitled, 1984, and Red Room, 1988, are on view. In addition, the exhibition is filled out by key loans from many institutional and private collections, including art, ephemera, and documentation provided by the Keith Haring Foundation in New York, established by the artist in 1989.
Haring's work is laid out across 10 galleries that explore his wide range of mediums, including video, sculpture, drawing, painting, and graphic works, as well as representations from the artist’s enormous output of public projects, from the subway drawings to his public murals. His love of music is also on display. In one immersive space, the backlit gallery is accompanied by a soundtrack of playlists made by the artist himself.
With his signature line drawings and easily recognizable characters, Haring rose to prominence and made his voice heard. And he often used his art to promote the causes that were close to his heart. His contributions to anti-apartheid and nuclear disarmament are prominently on display alongside work that takes on capitalism, environmentalism, racism, and the AIDS crisis.
“Keith Haring’s belief that art should be accessible to all is central to the exhibition and integral to The Broad’s mission,” says Sarah Loyer, curator and exhibitions manager. “With this exhibition, our audience will have the opportunity to dive deep into Haring’s work, both as an artist and as an innovator who completely shifted the landscape of contemporary art to this day.”
Keith Haring: Art is for Everybody is on view at The Broad in Los Angeles through October 8, 2023. Tickets are available for purchase online.
The Broad is Los Angeles' first museum to dedicate an exhibition to Keith Haring.
Art is for Everybody is an expansive exhibit with over 120 pieces of art and ephemera displayed across 10 galleries.
The show covers all aspects of Haring's creative work, from his subway drawings to his dedication to many social causes.
The show runs until October 8, 2023, and a rich calendar of events is scheduled to support its run.
