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| Keith Haring was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, in 1958 and grew up in nearby Kutztown.
Learning from his father, be started drawing cartoons at a young age. A rebellious youth, he gained an appreciation for modern art during
several museum visits. Encouraged by his parents, he studied at the Ivy School of Professional Art in Pittsburgh, but dropped out when he
realized that most commercial artists were unhappy. After his first exhibition in Pittsburgh, he moved to New York in 1979 to attend the
School of Visual Arts in New York. In the New York subways, Haring began to appreciate the artistry of graffiti. One day he saw a blank black advertising | 
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| panel and created a chalk drawing, something he repeated whenever he saw one of these blank panels. People interacted with
him while he was drawing, which enabled him to learn about people's reactions to his creations. After being frustrated by the business of art,
Haring decided to be represented by Tony Shafrazi, for whom he had once worked as a gallery assistant, which gave him the freedom to create.
He almost immediately became an international success, with showings in Europe and Asia. Haring realized his success when he saw his works
copied on objects such as T-shirts and sneakers around the world. In 1986 Haring opened the Pop Shop, a retail venue for his work. Having seen
many of his friends die of AIDS, Haring wasn't surprised when he was diagnosed with the disease in 1988. Before his death in 1990, Haring
established the Keith Haring Foundation to raise money for children's and AIDS-related organizations. | ||
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