Woodhaven Artist Champions Healing Through Art
By MOHAMED FARGHALY
mfarghaly@queensledger.com
For Deborah Camp, art has never been a hobby. It has been a lifeline, a career and a calling tied deeply to the Queens neighborhoods where she grew up. A lifelong Woodhaven resident, Camp traces her creative roots through generations of artists in her family — her mother, grandmother and great-grandfather.
“I was surrounded in this artistic environment,” she said. “I started painting and drawing when I was three years old, and I used to scribble all over the walls. Now I make a joke to my mom that I was just practicing to be a mural artist.”
Today, Camp works full-time as a muralist and art instructor, using her illustrations, writing and community partnerships to promote mental health and resilience. The work is personal, she says, shaped by the years she spent as a teen trying to cope with severe bullying.
“Escaping into the world of art and drawing my own characters and making up stories made me feel better,” Camp said. “I was able to cope with all of the trauma through art. Now I use that to help children heal and show that you can become resilient and strong by tapping into your gifts.”
Her murals appear on storefront windows and walls across Queens, and she teaches art through workshops, school programs and library classes. She has partnered with local organizations to spread messages of hope, most notably at Elmhurst Hospital, where she painted a wall mural and pillar murals for the suicide prevention unit for youth.
“That one I’m most proud of,” she said. “I was severely bullied as a teen, and to know that my work is inspiring children going through something similar is a full-circle moment. They can see messages of hope and uplifting illustrations. That’s why I do what I do — to champion mental health.”
Camp studied fine arts at Queens College, always knowing she wanted to turn her passion into a profession. Over the past decade she has painted more than 350 windows and walls, a journey that she says began by accident. In 2011, while looking for art gigs on Craigslist, she found a prep shop seeking a window artist.
“I never painted a window before, but they picked my concept because they believed in me,” she said. “Since then, I’ve had more and more clients reaching out. I love what I do, and I’m going to keep going to see where it leads me.”
Most of her projects remain rooted in the borough. She recently partnered with PS 209 in Whitestone to run the CASA art program, creating curriculum that blended Queens history and hands-on creativity. She has taught at the Woodhaven branch of the Queens Public Library, collaborated with the Woodhaven Business Improvement District and worked with American Airlines at JFK Airport to paint morale-boosting window art for employees.
“I would say about 95% of my work is in the Queens community, because I strongly believe that Queens should support Queens,” she said.
Camp is also an author. In 2023, she self-published Musings: Diner Open 24/7, a book combining 20 years of artwork and poetry centered on overcoming fear and personal obstacles. She hopes it inspires adults and children facing challenges similar to those she once did.
“If nobody will publish my work, why don’t I do it myself?” she said. “I want people to see my story and be inspired that they can do what they believe in. If they have a drive and passion for it, they can get it — but they have to work hard for it.”
Her next major project represents a milestone for Forest Hills. Camp recently received approval from the New York City Parks Department to paint six murals in McDonald Park on Queens Boulevard, scheduled for spring 2026.
“This is the first time in 95 years that a wall mural will be painted there,” she said. “I’m very excited about it.”
Early fundraising is underway, supported by individual donations through her GoFundMe, a business sponsorship from Ridgewood Savings Bank’s Forest Hills branch and a grant from the New York City Grassroots Green Fund. The effort is backed by fiscal sponsor Woodhaven Mural Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Camp plans a grand unveiling event with local performers, music and monthly children’s art workshops in the park.
Her creative process, she says, always begins with a sketch and a soundtrack. She draws in pencil and marker while listening to music that helps shape the concept, then moves to color drafts and final painting with brushes and window paints. Projects can take anywhere from hours to days.
“I feel like any piece should tell a story,” she said. “When the viewer can see a part of themselves in it or feel something emotionally, that’s how you know it’s a successful piece.”
For aspiring artists, Camp’s message is emphatic: persistence matters more than anything.
“Never give up,” she said. “If you find your artistic style, develop it. Find what you keep going back to, that’s the thing you were meant to do. And ask yourself why you want to be an artist. If you can answer that, it will lead you where you need to go.”
Support Deborah Camp’s upcoming Forest Hills mural project and help bring art and hope to the community by donating at tinyurl.com/debcampforesthills.
Camp encourages local organizations and businesses interested in window or mural art to reach out. She can be contacted at deborahcamp@hotmail.com, and her work appears on Instagram at artsbydebcamp.
