Keith Haring: Against All Odds

The Karl and Bertl Arnstein Galleries

Keith Haring’s career in art began with chalk graffiti in New York City subway stations and, during the 1980s, exploded into paintings, drawings, large-scale murals, fashion, and pop culture. The artist channeled his newfound popularity and his signature style of bold and energetic outlines into expressions of love and positivity. He also used his art to make political statements against environmental destruction, racism, homophobia, and more. Ranging from the artist’s best-known imagery to more personal and adventurous works, Keith Haring: Against All Odds will survey the height of his career, from the early 1980s until his death in 1990 at the age of thirty-one. The show will also include artwork by some of Haring’s friends and artistic peers, such as Jean-Michel Basquiat and David Wojnarowicz.

 

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Keith Haring (Collaboration with LA II), Untitled, 1982. Acylic and ink on fiberboard. Collection of the Rubell Museum. Keith Haring copyright with the Keith Haring Foundation.

Thursday, June 1, 2023
6:30 – 7:30 pm

Against All Odds: Moving in Museums

As part of the NCCAkron Creative Administration Research Summit Convening and the Keith Haring: Against All Odds exhibit currently on view at the Akron Art Museum, please join us for a Dancing Conversation between NCCAkron Executive/Artistic Director Christy Bolingbroke, Artist Brendan Fernandes, and Akron Art Museum Curator Dr. Jeff Katzin. The body is an ever-present theme in Keith Haring's work, inciting movement, energy, and liveness. That liveness, combined with Haring's tendency to work both inside and outside of formal sites of artistic display, resonates with dance artists. Using this common ground, how are visual artists and choreographers dancing in and around museum spaces today? This event is part of the Creative Administration Research (CAR) Summit Convening. Artists and Thought Partners from around the country who are participating in NCCAkron's multi-year CAR program will be in Akron for an entire weekend of events. CAR is made possible through a three-year grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Free. Seating is limited, RSVP Required Keith Haring (Collaboration with LA II), Untitled, 1982, Acrylic and ink on fiberboard, Collection of the Rubell Museum, Keith Haring artwork copyright © Keith Haring Foundation

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Wednesday, June 21, 2023
10:00 – 11:00 am

Coffee with a Curator: Keith Haring: Against All Odds – New Works

Join Curator Dr. Jeff Katzin for coffee and conversation about our exhibition Keith Haring: Against All Odds, with a special emphasis on Haring’s Pop Shop, as well as the monumental painting of a caterpillar that has recently been added to the show. After coffee, the group will head up to the galleries to view the exhibition. Registration is required.

Thursday, June 29, 2023
6:00 – 7:30 pm

Sip in the Studio: Keith Har-earring Jewelry Design

Learn the art of sculpting jewelry out of polymer clay with Jasmine Gonzales, artist and owner of Jazzie Sculpts. Class includes a complimentary glass of beer or wine and lite hors d’oeuvres, plus all the necessary materials to create custom Keith Haring-inspired statement earrings during the workshop. $30 for members/$40 for non-members.

Saturday, July 8, 2023
11:00 am – 3:00 pm

Family Day: Keith Haring

Come enjoy the fun, inspiring artworks and overall legacy of Keith Haring through this Family Day experience in conjunction with the Museum’s Keith Haring Against All Odds Exhibition. Families will create artwork inspired by Haring’s techniques, dance along with his childlike figures, enjoy artistic outdoor activities, and learn about his life as the boy who would not stop drawing. This Family Day event is geared towards children of all ages, so encourage the whole family to come and explore the strong, empowering messages behind Haring’s works. FREE. Registration Requested

Sunday, July 16, 2023
11:30 am – 12:30 pm

Coffee with the Artist: Ron Copeland

Join the Museum design team and artist Ron Copeland as they take you through the process behind re-creating Keith Haring’s famous Pop Shop as an education and reflection space. After coffee, the group will head up to the galleries to view the exhibition.

Registration is required. FREE for members / $12 for nonmembers, includes admission.

Saturday, August 12, 2023
10:00 – 11:00 am

Coffee with a Curator: Keith Haring, The Subway Drawings

Join Curator Dr. Jeff Katzin for coffee and conversation about our exhibition Keith Haring: Against All Odds, with special attention on the thousands of chalk drawings that Haring created in New York City's subway stations during the 1980s, including the nine examples that are part of our show. After coffee, the group will head up to the galleries to view the exhibition. Registration is required.

FREE for members / $12 for nonmembers, includes admission.

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