Thu 5/18 @ 6-9PM
The Akron Art Museum is in the middle of a big show called Against All Odds, focusing on 1980s New York art star Keith Haring. Haring was one of the iconic artists who made New York the era’s visual arts capital of visual arts. His work was heavily influenced by the city’s street scene & its graffiti art, blurring the line between fine art and commercial graphic art with his repeated line drawings that functioned as symbols an his embrace of accessible marketing. He passed away of AIDS at 31 in 1990, but his reputation has only grown since then.
On its next Community Night, the museum will celebrate Haring with national and local speakers sharing their thoughts about the artist and his work. Cleveland-based drag artist Dr. Lady J, who has a PhD from Case Western Reserve University’s Department of Music and wrote her dissertation about the mainstreaming of drag in 1990s, will talking about how Harris and other LGBTQ+ artists influenced the 80s art scene and continue to exert influence today. Afterwards, she’ll continue the conversation in the galleries.
The program is free; RSVP is requested. Go here.