Keith Haring’s Art is Fun for All

During the late 1980s, Keith Haring rose to international fame through his iconic style of art that addresses social concerns and raised public awareness for healthcare access and destigmatizing the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the crack cocaine epidemic, racial quality and environmentalism.

Haring’s art making practice began in the streets and urban environment of New York City; but the playful and vibrant style he utilized to make his mural-sized pieces has made it equally compelling for display in schools. It is common to find a reproduction or appropriation (he too frequently worked in appropriation) of his art in classrooms from K-12 grade. While reproductions are great teaching materials and are inspiring for students, there are several schools that were actually treated to an original Haring. One particular work of art Haring created for an educational setting is a mural at Ernest Horn Elementary, in Iowa City, Iowa.

The mural has been a fixture of the Midwestern elementary school’s library since its creation in 1989, but due to renovations at the school, it was temporarily relocated to the nearby Stanley Museum of Art at the University of Iowa where it was on view through May 4, 2024 through the first week January 2025. Its interim home in the museum marked the first time it was on view for the general public.

The story behind the mural is as heartwarming as its colorful and whimsical content. Haring was contacted by elementary school educator Colleen Ernst and her fifth- and sixth-grade students. They exchanged letters over a period of time, and in 1984, he visited them in their classroom where they engaged in artful discussions and activities. He returned to the school in 1989, and that is when the mural, titled A Book Full of Fun was created.

Haring had a knack for reaching an intergenerational audience, and his time at Horn Elementary showcases the valuable cultural exchange that occurs from pairing mature artists with younger students. He mentioned to journalist Kanchalee Svetvllas in an Iowa City Press-Citizen feature that, “For me, it’s the hardest audience. They’re the most honest… They have fresh ideas and good imaginations. I learn a lot from them.”

A Book Full of Fun was inspired by the children’s books on the shelves of the school’s library. At the root of the composition is a stylized open book with facial features. A large speech bubble full of letters, numbers and a variety of imagined cartoon characters stems from the book’s spine. On the bottom right hand side, are the words “A book full of fun for my friends at (image of a trumpet to symbolize Horn) school.”

A few months after finishing the mural, Haring went public with his HIV/AIDS diagnosis. As a response, Horn Elementary organize d an event that intended to educate the community about HIV/AIDS and destigmitize the bias and polarization surrounding it at the time. It was a full circle moment and touching homage to the artist whose work has been instrumental in heightening our collective consciousness about healthcare access, identity and community.