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Historic Keith Haring Mural Will Be Celebrated, Not Destroyed

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Whenever someone buys a house or land adjacent to a building that has a mural on it, it's a delicate time: Will the new owner preserve the artwork? Or will they decide it's either not to their liking or not worth saving? Perhaps the most well-known instance of a negative outcome in this regard was the loss of David Guinn's popular "Autumn" mural at Ninth and Bainbridge. Despite well-marshaled neighborhood activism, the mural could not be saved.

No wonder, then, that people were worried about the 25-year-old Keith Haring mural on a home at 21st and Ellsworth that sold in January and was being prepared for a flip in February. Now the Mural Arts Program (MAP)'s head honcho Jane Golden tells us there's good news: The people who live in the Keith Haring house love the mural. Whew.

MAP met with some folks from the Keith Haring Foundation and the mural will be restored, hopefully in time for a dedication on May 4, which would have been Haring's 55th birthday. The garden in front of the mural may also get a new fence and embellishments, and, says Golden, "everyone is excited." Count us in.