Learning About La Casita

Surrounded by inspiring Latino and Hispanic art and literature, members of the CNY Branch of the NLAPW toured La Casita Cultural Center in Syracuse, NY on Wednesday, November 15, 2023. Hosted by Tere Paniagua, Executive Director of Syracuse University’s Cultural Engagement for the Hispanic Community, Pen Women learned about the art therapy programs for children at the Cultural Center, about a new program for mothers, about community engagement and support, as well as the current "Futurismo Latino, Cultural Memory and Imagined Worlds" exhibition by Caytano Venzuela and Zeke Pena.

A discussion ensued about the younger generations shift from print books to almost strictly online sources of both literature and information as we were surrounded by Hispanic and Latino print literature in the La Casita's library. The director talked about bringing the books to the children through conversation to web files.

Paniagua also directs the Point of Contact Gallery in the Syracuse University Warehouse and provided information about these exciting outreach programs in the Syracuse community. She stressed the importance of volunteers, many of them Syracuse University students, in providing La Casita's programs to this underserved community within the larger community.

Special thank you to Georgia Popoff who arranged for this Pen Women event.

Following the educational, inspirational tour, Pen Women gathered for lunch and conversation at the Blarney Stone on Tipperary Hill. Photographs by Janine DeBaise and Nancy Dafoe.