East New York

Keith Haring mural at Woodhull Hospital restored by art conservators

October 25, 2018 By Raanan Geberer Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Woodhull Medical Center. ©2018 Google Maps photo
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Art conservators from the Fine Arts Conservation Group have been coming to Woodhull Hospital in Bedford-Stuyvesant to restore a section of a mural in the hospital lobby by the late Keith Haring, a well-known street artist, muralist and political activist.

The company was hired to perform a complete restoration of the mural in 2002, according to the Wall Street Journal. Currently, conservators Helen Im and Suyeon Kim are working on a small section that was recently damaged by water.

Haring painted the colorful mural, which features his trademark dancing figures, during a three-day period in 1986, the Journal said. It was one of more than 50 murals he created during the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s in hospitals, day care centers, charity venues and orphanages.

Hospital officials told the Journal that Haring’s mural at Woodhull, which he drew for free, is likely worth millions of dollars. The restoration project is costing about $20,000.

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Lisa Scott-McKenzie, a longtime Woodhull employee who has been with the hospital for 33 years, remembered Haring signing T-shirts and other items for anyone who asked, although most of them weren’t aware of his fame.


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