The Museum of the City of New York has opened the exhibition “Another Wonderland: Abram Champanier’s Alice Mural,” featuring 16 painted panels that form the only surviving Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) mural originally created for a hospital children’s ward. The mural, based on Lewis Carroll’s *Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland*, was painted by artist Abram Champanier and has been preserved and reassembled for public display.
This exhibition matters because it highlights a rare surviving example of New Deal-era public art, specifically a W.P.A. mural that once brought comfort to hospitalized children. By restoring and exhibiting Champanier’s work, the museum underscores the cultural and historical significance of federal arts programs and the importance of preserving public murals that might otherwise be lost.