Celebrate graffiti artist Keith Haring’s birthday with a Sidewalk Chalk Art Festival on Saturday, May 7, from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Haggerty Museum of Art. Register for a sidewalk square to create Haring-inspired chalk art around the museum and on campus.
The festival provides the opportunity to meet the museum’s community partners, enjoy live music and indulge in food from multiple food truck vendors.
The festival is inspired by Haring’s “Construction Fence,” a 1983 gift to the Haggerty Museum of Art from the artist. During the 1980s, Haring drew hundreds of chalk images on black paper that covered unused advertising spaces in New York City’s subway stations. These iconic images found their way into his graffiti murals that reside in major museums around the world. He is renowned for his commitment to community and public art, which is mirrored in the Haggerty Museum of Art’s commitment to inclusivity and accessibility.
More information about the creation of Haggerty’s Construction Fence by Haring can be found at the Google Arts & Culture site.
- Throughout the event, create sidewalk chalk art with stencils, which can be picked up at the Haggerty Museum of Art, and grab lunch from one of the three food truck partners: Africa’s Finest Cuisine, BeBe’s Bistro and Twisted Plants.
- Dance to live music from Pay the Devil inside the Museum from noon to 1 p.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
- Enjoy the Crisp Vocals & Eclectic Jazz, vocalist Tanya Reed at the Alumni Memorial Union from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Take in a performance from Season 10 “American Idol” contestant Felix Ramsey and his new EP “Grey Area” from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
In tandem with the Sidewalk Chalk Art Festival, Muskego Way Forward, Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers and other neighborhood partners will use Haring-inspired art to educate and empower residents to advocate for safer streets in the Muskego Way neighborhood. This event will also take place on Saturday, May 7, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Forest Home pocket park.
