In July 1964, three visionary local artists, Philip Arabia, Richard Cassel, and James Hanna came together with a shared dream: to create an inclusive space where artists of all backgrounds, skill levels, and artistic disciplines could connect, learn, and grow. Their goal was to unite amateur and professional artists alike through workshops and exhibitions, fostering creativity while enriching community appreciation for the fine arts.

By September 1964, this vision became a reality with the incorporation of the Willingboro Art Alliance (WAA) as a nonprofit organization. The Art Alliance welcomes a diverse and growing membership, now at 100 + artists from various cultures, communities, and artistic expressions.

The Art Alliance actively supports artistic development through weekly workshops held every Wednesday morning at the Kennedy Building in Willingboro. Monthly meetings feature live demonstrations from artists across multiple mediums and perspectives. Additionally, special workshops and life drawing classes are offered at accessible, minimal costs, providing valuable opportunities for artistic exploration.

Celebrating the creative voices of its members, the Alliance hosts a members-only show every spring and an open juried exhibition in the fall. Members are encouraged to showcase their work in special exhibits and even their own solo or small group shows. A dedicated exhibit committee is always ready to support members in organizing, setting up, and dismantling exhibitions.

The Willingboro Art Alliance is proud to welcome artists and art enthusiasts of all races, ethnicities, identities, and backgrounds from across the United States. Annual membership is $35.00. To join this vibrant and inclusive artistic community, simply complete the online application form or download and mail it to the WAA address listed on the form.

The Willingboro Art Alliance (WAA) is a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization whose mission is to bring amateur and professional artists together in an effort to increase their skills through workshops and exhibitions, expand awareness of the fine arts, and create an inclusive, welcoming community. We only occupy facilities that are ADA approved for the physically disabled. This assures us that anyone with mobility issues has access to the building, classrooms, exhibition spaces, and bathrooms. At present we use the Kennedy Center in Willingboro, NJ, the Burlington County Library System, Virtua Memorial Hospital in Mt. Holly and the Historic Smithville Annex and Worker’s House Galleries in Eastampton Township, NJ. Our commitment is to use only ADA spaces so that all members and guests of our organization have easy access to our programs. The current WAA artrooms in the Kennedy Center are on the ground floor and offer moveable tables and chairs that can be reorganized, as needed, to accomodate mobility issues. We offer many classes, presentations and meetings via Zoom allowing for remote access and our artist presentations and some of the hands-on workshops are free of charge to members and non-members allowing equal access to the arts and cultural exposure regardless of economic diversity.

At the Willingboro Art Alliance, we believe that art knows no boundaries and neither should our community