Aunt Lou’s House

Aunt Lou's House was developed through a need identified by community members: educational support and access to technology. With the help from a generous donor to purchase and rehab this property, we began with daily homework help, and these programs grew into various educational activities. Over the years, this has included book club, newspaper club, homework help, SAT prep, "emoji" club, adult reading/writing workshops, and even a science fair!

A regular need for our neighbors in Binghampton has been access to technology. We saw a considerable increase during the COVID-19 pandemic as families applied for assistance programs. It became clear to us that if individuals cannot travel to the library, they may not have access to the technology required to participate in society. CAG then started offering computer access, a printer, the ability to scan documents, and free wifi.

Outdoor classrooms were built with AIAS Design + Build Studio through the University of Memphis. These outdoor spaces doubled our participation capacity from the single 700-square-foot house.

Several U of M Department of Architecture projects can be found around CAG, including enhancements to the red stage and hammock buildings in the Art Garden, the garden pavilion in the East Community Garden, and the sailboat-inspired sandbox that was added in 2019 to the Art Garden.

Currently, Aunt Lou’s house is being used for additional art and youth enrichment programming as the need for free-accessible arts education has continued to grow in demand.