Gallery • 6 Photos

“This is one of Haring’s most famous pieces. It is called “Radiant Baby”. This piece revolutionized his technique of pop art.

Shining lights overhead illuminate the dancing figures all around you. You look left and right admiring Keith Haring’s simple yet expressive figures. 

The Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) in downtown Denver has opened its newest gallery, The Keith Haring exhibit. The exhibit is on view from February 22 to August 22. Teenagers and kids get in for free and for adults, admission is only ten dollars. 

Keith Haring was a New York street artist who revolutionized graffiti and street art throughout the 1980s. He became famous for his iconic pieces with his specialized technique of pop art that allowed him to create people posing. 

The exhibit itself contained over ten pieces of Haring’s iconic artwork taken from New York. Along with the art itself, there are many descriptions and biographies about Haring. Along the side of the descriptions, there are many portraits of Haring doing numerous activities including his “Crack is Wack” program and hanging out with famous rap group RUN D.M.C.

“I have been to the Keith Haring exhibit and I thought it was incredibly cool. It is also so refreshing to leave Highlands Ranch and go someplace new,” Izzy Holsman ‘21 said, “I love the MCA because of the authentic art style it carries.” 

The Haring gallery is very intriguing itself, but the MCA has more to offer as well! Right now, they have three more exhibits and galleries to check out while you are there. 

The first one is Narkita Gold’s, “Black in Denver” gallery, in which she portraits and examines the life of many people living in Denver. She uses huge portraits, colors, and quotes from the individuals themselves to examine this topic. The gallery is in a huge room where there are many different portraits to look at and stories to read. 

Another gallery is Rick Griffith’s “Tools”. In this gallery, artist Rick Griffith demonstrates how important the opportunity to vote is. He uses political posters advocating for higher voter turnouts as his argument by displaying them all over the room. Much like Narkita Gold’s exhibit, “Tools” is a newly commissioned exhibit to represent the heat and height of today’s political climate. 

One more exhibit that was newly commissioned is Jaime Carrejo’s “Waiting”. Created during the height of the pandemic, this exhibit examines the feeling of waiting and being secluded during this time. It examines this by the use of plants, whether they are real life plants or paintings. 

The MCA is more than just art. On the top floor, it has a room for teenagers who want to access their creative side and make their own work. They can use their creativity and create any art they want. On the other side of that room is the rooftop balcony, bar, and cafe. It is the perfect place to hang out with your friends on a beautiful spring or summer day after looking at some art. The MCA serves food and drinks and has places to sit inside and outside. 

With just over a month left of school, heading to the MCA over the summer is a great idea. Whether it is the art or food, the MCA has something for everyone. It is a cheap and speedy option to get out of the house and experience Downtown Denver.