Keith Haring's Subway Art Studio

For National Coming Out Day in October, learn about Keith Haring’s New York City subway drawings and his strategy to come out artistically to the public. Haring drew over 5,000 chalk drawings in stations over a five-year period, launching his career in the early 1980s. Using this space like a laboratory, Haring defined his signature style and budding philosophy, and grew his collection of motifs and characters. With a career that is still widely popular even 30 years after his untimely death, Haring's subway drawings have now become iconic. They also set the stage for his career-long commitment to gay rights and activism.  

Join art historian Amy Raffel to explore Haring’s drawings' foundational value to his work and how they contributed to his career, activism, and legacy.  

Amy Raffel is the Public Programs Manager at the New York Transit Museum. She is also an independent scholar who published Art and Merchandise in Keith Haring’s Pop Shop (2021).