Keith Haring was born in Reading in 1958 and raised in Kutztown. He became one of the most celebrated and original modern artists of the 1980's. His works are in museums around the world, and are instantly recognizable for his unique style.

"Haring’s work put social issues at the forefront while celebrating love and the love of life. In 1979 he designed, printed, and distributed 20 thousand posters for an antinuclear demonstration in Central Park. His vibrant compositions, which are instantly recognizable to anyone who lived through the 1980s, feature heavily outlined figures with no race or gender, who come in a variety of bright colors." Above text taken from Art and Culture Network

Keith graduated from high school in Kutztown, went to art school in Pittsburgh, then moved to New York in the late 1970's. There he started out as a kind of graffiti artist, drawing his simple line drawings in public spaces for all to see. Soon his simple yet energetic style, and his bold use of line and shape, brought him to the attention of the New York art world. He began showing his work in galleries in the early 1980's and quickly became known all over the world.

Keith Haring succumbed to AIDS in 1990. His legacy lives on in his many works and in the Keith Haring Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping other non-profits through the sale of his work.

For more detail on Keith Haring, see Official Keith Haring website and Keith Haring website for Children, and many additional websites with Keith Haring artwork and information.