In 1989, Keith Haring asked his dear friend if he wanted to become involved in his foundation. Although Gilbert Vazquez didn’t know what this meant at the time, he knew that he wanted to help his friend carry out his wishes. Haring had been diagnosed with AIDS, and knew that after his passing he wanted to continue his legacy and make positive change. Since Haring’s passing in 1990, Vazquez now works tirelessly to continue the change he and Haring wished to make.
Having met Haring at 17 years old, Vazquez was quickly introduced to a new and exciting world. Vazquez grew up in Spanish Harlem and knew very little about the downtown area. As Haring was already a famous artist, Vazquez was introduced to an exciting new community in which he met celebrities and important people; however, Vazquez says that he was mostly “impressed by the club scene” as he was able to listen to the best and most influential DJs at the time. Having started to DJ at the age of 10, the introduction to this community was very influential in his life. He soon became a professional DJ at 21 making mixtapes with his partner Double R. Together they created a unique sound which differed from many popular DJs at the time as their music involved more than just the classic two turn tables. As he began to grow within the music community, Vazquez developed a duality within his life as he lived in what he says “felt like two different worlds” at the time. In one of these worlds he worked to create change through the art community and in the other he expressed himself through his passion for music.
Overtime, Vazquez’s work helped to create a bridge between his community and the arts world. The foundation focuses on care for those affected by HIV and AIDS, helping children, and furthering the influence of Haring’s art. Although he humbly does not consider himself necessarily a bridge, he does acknowledge that his “director position may be inspirational to children from these communities.” Seeing someone involved in arts world working towards positive change, makes influential careers seem attainable to children within these communities. As such, Vazquez bridges the gap between these worlds.
As Vazquez bridged the gap for children within his community, he also saw a bridge forming in his own life. While he attempted to keep his worlds separate for much of his career, he began to see his two worlds collide. After being disappointed within the music business, his love for music lead him to return to DJing. It is in this return that Vazquez claims “he found his voice.” Connecting with people in a live setting has helped him attain skills which he uses to run the foundation. Most recently, he has been working at a Hip Hop themed restaurant in the Bronx called Beatstro. He performed brunch there every Sunday for two years meeting people from all different backgrounds. Here, he learned to incorporate something for everyone during his sets as different varieties of people attended his brunches. With new perspectives and a confidence found within his home at Beatstro, he began to see his experiences influence how he runs the Keith Haring Foundation.
Vazquez knows that the responsibility of carrying out your best friend’s wishes must be taken extremely seriously, and ensures that “any opportunity he gets to further his involvement is tackled full steam ahead.” The mission of the Keith Haring Foundation has become very personal to Gilbert Vazquez both because of his friendship with Haring and the impact of his personal experiences. Having interacted with many people through his careers, it is now one of his personal missions to eradicate HIV AIDS, and in doing so he stresses the importance of protecting the most vulnerable communities, especially Black Trans Women. These women are often most vulnerable as they are marginalized throughout the United States and pushed to sex work to survive. While it may be an uncomfortable topic for the masses, Vazquez pushes for widespread acceptance to allow marginalized communities, especially Black Trans Women, to live openly as themselves. Only through overcoming discomfort rather than hurting these communities, can we protect these populations and bridge gaps to allow them to seek prosperity.
