Keith Haring would be 54 today.

As a fellow Pennsylvanian, I had the privilege of meeting his parents when I was 12yrs old to show them pictures our 6th grade class had drawn in the likeness of his art. I am proud to have gone to a public elementary school that in 1992 would have honored the memory of an artist who died of AIDS and wasn’t afraid of bringing that into our impressionable young lives. I devoured everything thing I could about Haring from that moment on.

His artwork is displayed on everything from t-shirts to coffee mugs. Some might disdain this mass production of his work but when I place the Keith Haring baby bib on the little girl I babysit, I can’t help but smile knowing that even over 20yrs after his death, people like Keith Haring never truly die.

Just by existing and sharing his art and life, Keith Haring served as a transformative figure. Happy Birthday to a beautiful artist and a beautiful person.