Iconic mural of Keith Haring faces demolition
The fate of the mural Keith Haring, The poolside location at the Tony Dapolito Recreation Center in New York City’s West Village remains uncertain as debate rages over what to do with the dilapidated facility. Haring painted the famous 160-foot-long artwork — which features dolphins, swimmers and a mermaid cavorting amid yellow and blue stripes — on a single, hot summer day in 1987. Famed producer Junior Vasquez DJed at a pool party the entire time. Today, the spot ranks among the world’s coolest artist-designed natural pools, as well as the city’s finest public art. It even appeared in Harmony Korine’s 1995 zeitgeist film “Kids.”
Concerns about the building — and by association, the Haring pool mural — were reignited earlier this summer when the Parks Department announced that the Tony Dapolito Recreation Center, including what was formerly known as the Carmine Street Pool, would remain closed for another year, marking the fifth consecutive season that area residents have had to trek a mile across town to cool off.
The Tony Dapolito Recreation Center opened in 1908. When it was initially closed for renovations in 2020, inspectors found that the damage was significantly worse than they thought. The center’s indoor pool is leaking, and parts of its construction are so structurally unsound that these areas are now constantly monitored for collapse. The projected budget to rehabilitate the space has quickly ballooned from $4 million to $20 million. According to Curbed, the Parks Department has earmarked $100 million for the project, but a spokesperson for the agency noted that restoring the center, rather than rebuilding it from the ground up, would still “result in the loss of recreational programming space,” since the size of its pool, gymnasium, and basketball courts are below current standards.
Demolition has since entered the conversation. The idea was floated at a community board meeting last month, where officials also proposed moving the Center to a planned affordable housing project nearby at 388 Hudson Street. The New York State Preservation League and nostalgic native New Yorkers are pushing back. Fortunately, at least officials have said that even if demolished, they would try to keep the pool and Haring mural, which the Foundation Keith Haring helped fund and preserve for the past 30 years.
“We understand that the mural is cherished by the community and a critical piece of the legacy of Keith Haring,” the Parks Department said in a statement shared with Artnet News. “We are in discussions with the Foundation Keith Haring about the mural’s restoration needs and exploring potential options.” The foundation did not respond to a request for comment on what it plans to do with the work. Meanwhile, the July board meeting approved a resolution to create a new center at 388 Hudson — without deciding further on demolition.
However, some understandably weary area residents are offering their predictions. “I’m sure they’ll keep Haring,” one local council member told Curbed. “It’ll be a great asset to any luxury condominium that’s going to be there.”
Source: Artnet News