You are at the Keith Haring Fitness Court! This was a gift to the town of Green Mountain Falls from the Kirkpatrick Family Fund – and it now stands as a community-wide invitation to move and to work out, dance, get outside, and enjoy life-- with public art as a motivator.
Keith Haring– whose artwork you see around you– was one of the most renowned of the young artists influenced the music, energy, and street art of the generation around him in New York City– and was always passionate about making his work as accessible to the public as possible. Haring’s work was exhibited in galleries and museums around the world, but even as his star rose, he continued to participate in public projects, including literacy campaigns and HIV/AIDs advocacy programs.
Haring's work is iconic thanks to the repetition of shapes outlined in black and often filled with bright colours. Although the shapes may appear simple, his work gives the impression that the forms or characters are moving, thanks to the lines borrowed from the world of comic books.
Speaking of movement: one of my favorite Keith Haring quotes is: “Art should be something that liberates your soul, provokes the imagination and encourages people to go further.”
So, with this in mind – I invite you to move today. Whether that’s a dance, a few push ups, a walk with a friend – let’s enjoy this amazing public art space in Green Mountain falls and go further!