ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Rescued Alice in Wonderland mural returns to public view at Museum of the City of New York

exhibition · 2026-06-04

The Museum of the City of New York is currently featuring a mural by Abram Champanier from 1938, called 'Alice of Wonderland Visiting New York.' This is its first showing since 1981. The mural originally decorated the children's ward at Gouverneur Hospital on the Lower East Side and was created through the WPA's Federal Art Project, making it the last surviving WPA mural for a children's hospital area. In 1981, volunteers saved 15 of the 16 panels before renovations began; one panel was lost but is documented in photos. Conservators Denise and Alan Farancz oversaw the recovery, restoring five panels for NYC Health + Hospitals. The exhibit runs until September 27, after which the mural will be permanently displayed at 227 Madison Street. Champanier, a Jewish immigrant from Russia, studied at the Art Students League and created a character named Fabzio the Toymaker to join Alice.

Key facts

  • Mural by Abram Champanier titled 'Alice of Wonderland Visiting New York' from 1938-40.
  • Originally installed in children's ward of Gouverneur Hospital, Lower East Side, New York.
  • Commissioned by Federal Art Project of the Works Progress Administration (WPA).
  • Only surviving WPA mural created for a hospital children's ward.
  • Salvaged in 1981 by volunteers led by conservators Denise Whitbeck Farancz and Alan Farancz.
  • One of 16 panels lost but recorded in photographs.
  • Restored by John Lippert starting in 2021.
  • Exhibition 'Another Wonderland: Abram Champanier’s Alice Mural' at Museum of the City of New York until September 27.
  • Mural to be permanently installed at 227 Madison Street, Gouverneur's current location.
  • Champanier was a Jewish immigrant from Russian Poland, studied at Art Students League with Kenneth Hayes Miller.

Entities

Artists

  • Abram Champanier
  • Kenneth Hayes Miller
  • Lewis Carroll
  • Alexander Calder
  • Edward Hopper
  • Jackson Pollock
  • Lee Krasner
  • Mark Rothko
  • Willem de Kooning
  • Lilly Tuttle
  • John Lippert
  • Dawn D'Aulisio
  • Larissa Trinder

Institutions

  • Museum of the City of New York
  • Gouverneur Hospital
  • NYC Health + Hospitals
  • NYC Health + Hospitals Arts in Medicine
  • Federal Art Project
  • Works Progress Administration (WPA)
  • Art Students League
  • Whitney Studio Club
  • New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
  • Works Progress Administration
  • Landmarks Preservation Commission
  • NYC Health + Hospitals Gouverneur
  • Brooklyn College
  • New York Times
  • NY1
  • WPA
  • NYC Health + Hospitals/Gouverneur

Locations

  • New York City
  • Lower East Side
  • Ellis Island
  • Woodstock
  • Statue of Liberty
  • Empire State Building
  • New York Public Library
  • Central Park Zoo
  • Coney Island
  • Steeplechase Park
  • 227 Madison Street
  • Manhattan
  • New York
  • United States
  • Russia
  • New Jersey
  • Lower Manhattan
  • East River
  • 42nd Street Public Library
  • Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive
  • Gouverneur Court
  • Gouverneur Hospital
  • Hudson Valley

Sources