'Wonder For All' Gives New Color To 'Boys & Girls Club' In South Jersey

GLASSBORO, NJ — A new South Jersey-based nonprofit got some help from kids at the Glassboro "Boys & Girls Club" to bring new meaning to an old space.

The "Wonder For All Arts Foundation" creates public art that is meant to inspire and build community connections by involving those in the neighborhoods with a variety of projects.

Founded by mural artist Alysia Mackenzie, the nonprofit also teaches children the fundamentals of art and creating with color in ways that spark everyday lives.

"I feel like my purpose in life is to bring joy to the world through public art," Mackenzie told Patch. "Wonder For All is my way of sharing that joy with more people, especially in places that might not otherwise have the funding for a mural."

The group's newest creation, the mural at the Boys & Girls Club at 801 Ellis Mills Rd, follows a request from the club to showcase what kids are learning inside onto the outside walls.

Specifically, this centers around STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) and was to represent students at three different ages working together to reach their goals.

They also asked for two slogans, "Great Futures Start Here" and "Come Grow With Us," to be included.

"I built on that with themes of growth, belonging, and possibility," added Mackenzie. "I want the kids to see themselves and their futures in the mural. They are contributing their own meaningful symbols, giving them a personal connection to the finished artwork."

The new mural will be unveiled during a free ceremony on Oct. 3, from 1 to 3 p.m.

A rain date is scheduled for Oct. 10.

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