Exuberant exhibition of Pop Art icon Keith Haring headed to the CMA

The Columbia Museum of Art presents major fall exhibition Keith Haring: Radiant Vision, on view from September 27, 2025, through February 15, 2026. Most recently on view at the Pop Art Museum, Seattle, this internationally touring exhibition celebrates the life and work of iconic artist Keith Haring. The regional debut of Keith Haring: Radiant Vision will be celebrated with several events including an early evening preview party on Friday, September 26, as well as a playful daytime program on Saturday, September 27.

“Keith Haring’s art was a pop-culture spark ¬— fast, fearless, and drawn from the concrete heartbeat of New York,” says CMA Executive Director Della Watkins. “With Radiant Vision, the Columbia Museum of Art offers audiences a powerful and playful tribute to Haring’s enduring belief that art belongs to everyone.”

Born in Reading, Pennsylvania, Keith Haring (1958–1990) emerged as a shooting star of the legendary New York art scene in the 1980s. His signature images include dancing figures, a “radiant baby,” a barking dog, a flying saucer, hearts, and figures with televisions for heads. He became friends with fellow artists Kenny Scharf and Jean-Michel Basquiat and grew interested in the colorful graffiti art of the city’s streets. Haring met Andy Warhol at a gallery exhibition in 1983, and Warhol became Haring’s mentor and friend, as well as the theme of several of his pieces, including “Andy Mouse.”

In the early ’80s, Haring found a highly effective medium that allowed him to communicate his work with a wider audience — he created chalk drawings on the unused advertising panels in New York City subway stations. These drawings represented a unique conflation of studio practice and public art, cartoons, and graffiti. They became familiar to commuters, who would often stop to engage with the artist. He also attracted the attention of city authorities, who arrested him for vandalism on numerous occasions.

Haring was openly gay and socially conscious, and his murals often reflected his position on social issues. He sought to raise awareness of AIDS, fought against the proliferation of drugs, and advocated for the end of Apartheid. Haring’s oeuvre, from street art to gallery shows, the Pop Shop, and commercial work, is deeply rooted in and reflective of the concept of “art for the people.”

His simply drawn figures were soon to be found on watches and cars, T-shirts and shopping bags, turning Haring into one of the best-known artists of his generation. Radiant Vision is a collection that features a diverse array of original works including drawings on paper, lithographs, silkscreens, posters, and other items that illustrate the entire span of Haring’s heartbreakingly short but incredibly prolific career.

The exhibition also includes the work of LAII (Angel Ortiz, b. 1967), an artist known for his collaborations with Haring. LAII’s career took off in 1980 when Haring, fresh from the Pennsylvania suburbs, encountered his “Little Angel” tag on a New York street and sought him out.

Single Source Traveling Exhibition provided by PAN Art Connections.

Keith Haring: Radiant Vision Opening Weekend Programs

Keith Haring Preview Party
Friday, September 26 | 4:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Don your streetwear and dancing shoes and join us to celebrate one of the most beloved icons of the 1980s New York City art scene with an exclusive sneak peek of featured fall exhibition Keith Haring: Radiant Vision. Kick off the weekend and make some memories at this playful indoor/outdoor block party packed full of art, music, vibes, and New York-style street food.

Be among the first to experience this much-anticipated exhibition, featuring over 250 original works including Haring’s signature dancing figures, “radiant babies,” barking dogs, and flying saucers. Groove to tunes from DJ Kingpin V.O.V. on Boyd Plaza throughout the evening. Enjoy Haring-inspired art activities including outdoor chalkboard sketching and a community activity led by artist Brittany M. Watkins. From 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., try your hand (and feet) with freestyle sessions and a tutorial from Dancing on Air Crew, a Charleston-based breakdancing group. From 6:00 to 6:45 p.m., kick back with Curator Sadé Ayorinde and Director of Learning and Engagement Chadric Devin as they share stories, insights, and perspectives on art and history. This casual conversation contextualizes Haring’s work within the social, cultural, and political climate of the ’80s and ’90s and situates it among the work of other artists of that time. Alongside the audience, they’ll explore how these works connect to broader questions of identity in public discourse — and how those legacies continue to shape art and visual culture today.

Food available for purchase. Cash bar with beer, wine, and nonalcoholic options. $20 advance / $25 at the door / free for members.

Keith Haring Member Morning
Saturday, September 27 | 9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
CMA members are invited to enjoy early access on opening day of Keith Haring: Radiant Vision. Check out this exciting new exhibition before the crowds and round out your morning with coffee and cake. Stick around for some hands-on fun at 10:00 a.m. as we celebrate the Worldwide Day of Play! Free. Members only. Member Morning brought to you by Nothing Bundt Cakes.

Keith Haring and Worldwide Day of Play at the CMA
Saturday, September 27 | 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Celebrate opening day of Keith Haring: Radiant Vision and Worldwide Day of Play at your museum! Build with the Big Blue Blocks during Play on the Plaza from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Go on tours of the brand-new exhibition starting at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Enjoy Haring-inspired community art activities, including musical doodle chairs starting at noon, 2:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m. Plus pop into the updated Cross Hatch, embark on a scavenger hunt through the museum, and more. Free with membership or admission.

Keith Haring: Radiant Vision is presented through the support of our generous sponsors and grantors. Silver sponsor: Dominion Energy. Bronze sponsors: Dr. Suzanne R. Thorpe and Dr. John W. Baynes. Friends sponsors: Joseph Bruce; Suzanne and Robert Clawson; Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd; Metro Wines Asheville; Beth and Matthew Richardson; Sandy and Sam McGuckin. Grantors: City of Columbia; Experience Columbia SC; Richland County Government; South Carolina Arts Commission; Discover South Carolina.