Keith Haring’s Murals at Public School 97 in the Lower East Side, 1985-1988 (2nd Edition)

This is the first fanzine devoted to the history of the late artist Keith Haring’s series of murals in Public School 97’s school courtyard on the Lower East Side.

Learn about three Keith Haring murals that got the attention of Public Enemy, Andy Warhol, a local graffiti crew, safe sex activism, and a fight against the crack epidemic.

I attended high school in the same building as Public School 97, but only learned about the murals’ history on local Facebook groups focused on the Lower East Side. I pull from Facebook group posts, stories from locals who helped Haring paint, and those close to Haring at the time of his murals. Read about Haring’s earlier mural at Junior High School 22 in 1981, and see never-before-seen video stills and photographs of Haring’s murals. My writing considers the deterioration of these murals as well as their legacy, the guest appearances including Andy Warhol and Public Enemy, and theorizing what led Haring to paint this downtown courtyard.

Signed
2nd Edition, March 2025
Edition of 100, Hand-Numbered
25 pages
21.59 x 13.97 cm