This Giant Keith Haring Mural Is a Beloved West Village Staple. Can It Be Saved?

In the ’80s, artist Keith Haring painted a sprawling mural on one of the walls surrounding a public pool at the Tony Dapolito Recreation Center, a historic community building in New York City’s West Village.

Last month, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation announced that it was considering tearing down the center—leaving the fate of the 18-by-170-foot artwork up in the air.

“We determined that extensive and costly capital work would be needed to restore structural integrity to the building,” said the Parks Department in a July statement, per Curbed’s Clio Chang.

Built in 1908, the recreation center has needed repairs for some time. The Parks Department closed the building over four years ago at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Officials have since discovered severe structural issues, and it has yet to reopen.

Haring completed the artwork on just one hot summer day in 1987. The yellow and blue piece features a group of swimmers, mermaids, fish and other characters. One person rides a sea creature; another gets eaten by one. Each figure is shown in motion and surrounded by the Pop artist’s signature thick lines.

“As a non-binary kid growing up in New York City in the early 1990s, creative events for gender-diverse people like Wigstock in Tompkins Square Park and public parks art like Keith Haring’s mural were often the only positive representations I saw of queer people living joyful, open lives,” New York artist Royal Young tells Daniel Jonas Roche of the Architect’s Newspaper.

Young adds, “To erase these invaluable artistic creations is to erase the vibrancy and diversity which has always been the beating heart of New York.”

The Tony Dapolito Recreation Center has been a community mainstay for over a century. Like many Village locations, it holds a special place in LGBTQ+ history, which is now threatened: https://t.co/HiV7bpu3FJ pic.twitter.com/2EBKpHKlvS

— Village Preservation (GVSHP) (@GVSHP) August 6, 2024

According to the Parks Department, the new community building will be a much-needed improvement, as the existing pool and basketball courts aren’t regulation size. City officials have also said they are hoping to find a solution that will preserve Haring’s mural.

“We understand the mural is beloved to the community and a critical piece of Keith Haring’s legacy,” says the Parks Department in a statement shared with Artnet’s Vittoria Benzine. “We are in discussion with the Keith Haring Foundation about the mural’s restoration needs and exploring potential options.”

However, no detailed plans have been announced regarding the artwork’s future. Some residents have also voiced concerns over its condition, saying that the paint is peeling and cracking, per the New York Post’s Georgett Roberts and Ronny Reyes.

Even if the mural is spared, some residents want to save the old recreation center, too. They argue that the piece is tied to the historic space, and tearing down the center could alter the artwork’s meaning.

“I’ve watched my neighborhood change dramatically over the last 50 years. This is an easy opportunity to repair instead of destroy,” said Mar Fitzgerald, a board member and neighborhood resident, at a community board meeting, per Curbed.

“I’m sure they’ll keep the Haring mural,” she added. “It’ll be a great asset to whatever luxury condo goes there—that’s what I see happening.”

Julia Binswanger | READ MORE

Julia Binswanger is a freelance arts and culture reporter based in Chicago. Her work has been featured in WBEZ, Chicago magazine, Rebellious magazine and PC magazine.