ABOUT THE PROJECT

Casa de Abuela (Grandma’s House) is an art project created to connect with the immigrant residents of the Point neighborhood in Salem in a deep and unconventional way. Casa de Abuela will be a small house; a replica of a typical Dominican country house. The creation of Casa de Abuela offers North Shore Community Development Coalition an innovative opportunity to engage the community, activate a community parcel, and create economic development. At Casa de Abuela, residents will remember their roots through storytelling, have opportunities to share various cultural foods, and showcase a physical space to visitors that celebrates their culture.

The design of Casa de Abuela features four simple wooden walls, a tin roof, and operable shutter-style wood windows; all known elements in a real, life-size Dominican country house. The main physical space within Casa de Abuela will reveal a realistic living room scene featuring the typical humble life of a Dominican grandmother. Connected to this there will be an area set aside for a small pop-up experience that will resemble a convenience store similar to one in the Dominican Republic. There will also be added elements to the program to deepen the experience over time.