Across nine galleries and over 120 works, Art Is For Everybody, on view now at The Broad, immerses visitors in the world of Keith Haring. The exhibition marks Haring's   first major museum retrospective in Los Angeles, shining a light on his work, influences, and the dynamic 1980s New York scene he helped to shape.

Upon stepping foot in the show, visitors are instantly greeted with orange and magenta striped walls, 80s Hip Hop blaring through the space, an in-your-face nod to NYC. These tracks aren't a meager intern-complied Spotify playlist, but rather, the actual mixtapes Haring and his friends blasted while making the art that now hangs on The Broad's walls. The immersive exhibition displays work from his beginnings in the late 1970s at the School of Visual Arts, and the emergence of his pop art graffiti style, up unti  his tragic death in 1989. From his iconic dancing figures and radiating heart tarp to Day-Glo paintings displayed on orange and magenta striped walls and large scale sculptures, Art Is For Everybody encapsulates the multi-dimensional figure Haring was.

Haring's work fearlessly engaged with politics and social dynamics, frequently, exploring themes of capitalism, racism, patriarchy and LGBTQ+ rights. Work on view in the exhibition reacts to issues of the day including Apartheid South Africa, Nuclear Disarmament and the HIV/AIDS crisis.

According to Sarah Loyer, Curator and Exhibitions Manager at The Broad, “Keith Haring’s belief that art should be accessible to all is central to the exhibition and integral to The Broad’s mission. With this exhibition, our audience will have the opportunity to dive deep into Haring’s work, both as an artist and as an innovator who completely shifted the landscape of contemporary art to this day.”

With the belief that art needed to be as accessible as possible, Haring opened his own store in 1986 called Pop Shop that allowed anyone to come in and buy his art in the form of coloring books, skateboards, apparel and more. Some of the ephemera from the original Pop Shop are installed within the exhibit where visitors can view the expansive archive. 

Throughout the summer, The Broad will also be hosting a series of events that spotlight not only Haring and his influence, but celebrate all of the art that came out of 1980s New York. On June 20th, the museum will toast the 50th anniversary of hip hop with an evening featuring, Chuck D, co-founder of Public Enemy, Keith Haring Foundation Executive Director Gil Vazquez, Producer, Curator and President of Channel Zero Productions, Lorrie Boula, as well as Lisane Basquiat, sister of the late artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. 

“In the 80s, NYC street art was hip hop was street art, both part of the same living, breathing body of expression and identity and creativity,” said legendary artist and Public Enemy frontman Chuck D. “Keith changed the game with his babies, breakdancers and boom boxes, and sometimes borrowed a Public Enemy song or five to name his paintings. I'm humbled beyond any measure to be involved in a program related to this exhibition at The Broad.”

Art Is For Everybody is on view now through October 8th at The Broad.