I spent my lunch break visiting the Cultural Center across the street from my office. They had an installation of a mural by Keith Haring along with objects he designed with his signature characters. I had to go.

It’s hard to miss the mural when you enter the Sidney R. Yates Gallery on the 4th floor of the building. Back in 1989, with the help of 500 Chicago Public School students from 63 area high schools, Haring painted a monumental 488-foot long mural in Grant Park. He started painting the black outline of figures and symbols and then the students fill the graphics with color as well as personal messages, initials, and signatures. Nine months after completing this mural in Chicago, Haring died of AIDS, sadly.

For a number of years, these 36 panels resided at Chicago’s Midway Airport. After this exhibition, the panels will be returned to the Chicago Public Schools for conservation and distribution to select schools. 

You can visit this exhibit now until September 23 at the Chicago Cultural Center.