Artist Keith Haring’s personal art collection is set to go to auction next month through Sotheby’s, with proceeds benefiting New York City’s The Center, which provides community, providing programs for health, wellness and community connection for the LGBTQ+ community. Haring had worked with The Center in 1989, when he painted a mural inside their men’s bathroom, which still stands today.
The prices for some of the pieces will range from $100 to $250,000. The pieces up for auction include art by David Bowes and Andy Warhol.
On its Instagram page, The Center said: “This incredibly generous sale couldn't come at a more urgent time: our funding is decreasing, while need for our services is increasing. As our Executive Director, Glennda Testone said in The New York Times: 'Sometimes, I like to think what Keith would do if he were still alive,' said Ms. Testone. 'I think that he would be really proud of the work that we are doing within our community to strengthen our bonds and our resiliency.'"
The auction, titled “Dear Keith,” is expected to bring in over $1 million.
“Dear Keith is an especially meaningful event in what is the 30th anniversary of Keith’s passing,” Gil Vazquez, director of the Keith Haring Foundation, said in a statement. “It is rare that we as a foundation are able to address so many of the concerns that our founder deeply cared about in a single gift. The Center embodies so much of what Keith was about: community, empowerment, and the support of our future, the youth.”
Haring, who died of AIDS in 1990, was a champion for gay rights and AIDS awareness. He famously crafted some of his popular art to look like condoms, promoted safe sex and worked alongside organizations like ACT UP, which raised AIDS awareness.
Haring’s popularity is seen today in fashion, as his art has featured in Uniqlo, Lacoste, Coach and Adidas' lines.
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