Haring's family attended the United Church of Christ. In his early teenage years, he was involved with the Jesus Movement. Later, he hitchhiked across the country, while selling T-shirts that he made featuring the Grateful Dead and anti-Nixon shirts. Haring graduated from Kutztown Area High School in 1976. He studied commercial art from 1976 to 1978 at Pittsburgh's Ivy School of Professional Art, but eventually lost interest. He was inspired to focus on his own art after reading "The Art Spirit" (1923) by Robert Henri. This influenced his decision to leave the Ivy School.