BRINGING IT ALL BACK HOME

Berks County lives in Haring’s work, and Haring’s work lives on in Berks County.

Along with the floor mural at New Arts Program, there is the Untitled (Figure Balancing on Dog) statue at Kutztown Park, a collection of chalkboard murals at the Kutztown Area Historical Society, a Nativity Scene drawing at St. John’s United Church of Christ in Kutztown – where his family were active members – and a permanent collection of works at Reading Public Museum, which hosted Haring’s immensely popular Journey of the Radiant Baby exhibit in 2006.

The newest Haring-related item in the county is a fitting tribute to the champion of public, accessible art. The Keith Haring Fitness Court is a limited edition outdoor center on Kutztown University’s campus, located a few blocks from where Haring grew up. Adorned with his brightly colored illustrations, the 1,120-square-foot installation contains 30 fitness pieces for the community to utilize. Users can admire his works while working out.

Sandra Green was instrumental in bringing the facility to the town where she served as mayor for more than a decade.

In 2021, the Keith Haring Foundation announced it was partnering with the National Fitness Campaign to create 10 limited edition fitness courts for which interested cities could apply. Meggan Kerber, then executive director of Berks Arts Council, alerted Green to the opportunity.

‘The city is a borough, and the borough is about 5,000 residents.’ And there was dead silence. ‘But,’ I said, ‘Kutztown is the home of Keith Haring, and his parents and sister still live there.’ Again, dead silence. And they said, ‘Here’s the link to the application. Let us know how we can help you.’ And I knew at that point we were going to be one of the 10.”

The $200,000 project, which was dedicated in October 2022, was built with the aid of several donations and $100,000 in state funding. On May 4, Haring’s birthday, an open fitness clinic was held at the court, followed by a Green-led walking tour spotlighting Haring’s artwork in town.

And there may be much more to come, with discussions afoot to display pieces he created during his time here.

She knew she would be competing against exponentially larger cities, but Green, who now works as a community liaison at Kutztown Community Partnership and Kutztown University, felt strongly that Haring’s hometown deserved one. So she gave National Fitness Campaign a call.

“They said, ‘How big is your city,’” she recalls. “And I said,

“I talked to [Keith’s sister] Kay Haring, and the family has his early works from when he was in school, when he doodled on napkins and paper plates,” Green says. “And then you talk to relatives of his who were at picnics where he would draw on paper plates and napkins. I would love to find a spot to put that work somewhere here in town.”

The way we decorate our space is often a reflection of ourselves and is quite personal. Some love a clean aesthetic. Some of us are swayed to change things based on trends. Some of us are at a loss for just how to put the ideas in our heads into play at home. That’s where interior designers can come into play. Who are some of the decorators in Berks, and what do they love? Meet three of them on the pages that follow.