Keith Haring's Subway Drawings: Art for Everyone
August 27, 2026
Before he became a global icon, Keith Haring turned the New York City subway into his canvas. Between 1980 and 1985, Haring created thousands of chalk drawings on the blank black advertising panels found throughout the subway system — radiant babies, barking dogs, and dancing figures that commuters encountered daily. These ephemeral works democratized art, bringing it out of galleries and directly to the public. In this video, we explore the history, symbolism, and lasting legacy of Haring's legendary subway drawings.
Works by Keith Haring
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Untitled III (Littmann PP. 20)
Andy Mouse Portfolio
Blueprint Drawing 12 (Littmann PP. 181)
Totem (Concrete)
Blueprint Drawing 6 (Littmann PP. 178)
Three Lithographs 2 (Red Tongue) (Littmann PP. 40)
Pop Shop V (Littmann PP. 148-149)
Angel, from White Icons (Littmann PP. 173)
Flowers 1 (Littmann PP. 165)
Pop Shop III (B) (Littmann PP. 144)
Growing Suite 3
Paris Review (Littmann PP. 114)
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