Keith Haring’s 1989 mural, A Book Full of Fun, painted at Ernest Horn Elementary School in Iowa City, is being publicly displayed for the first time. The mural is featured in the Stanley Museum of Art’s “To My Friends at Horn: Keith Haring and Iowa City,” which opened on May 4th—Haring’s birthday—and will be on view until January 5, 2025. The exhibition of the work coincides with a major renovation of the school and is likely the only occasion the mural will be visible to the public before it returns to its restricted access.
The mural’s creation was the culmination of Haring’s long-standing relationship with the students and community of Iowa City, initially sparked by teacher Colleen Ernst in 1984. Ernst invited Haring to the school in March 1984, introducing her students to his work, which led to a rich exchange of letters. When Haring visited, he engaged directly with students through workshops and a public painting event. This connection with the community inspired Haring to gift the mural to the school during a subsequent visit in 1989.
The public showing, accompanied by other Haring artworks, photographs, and archival materials, provides a comprehensive view of his legacy and his time in Iowa City. This mural was one of his last public projects before his death from AIDS in 1990. Notably, he had previously painted murals aimed at young audiences, such as the large piece at New York’s Mount Sinai Children’s Hospital, which was sold for nearly $1 million at Sotheby’s in 2022.
