Leslie Moody Castro

Leslie Moody Castro on her seamless (and accidental) boarder crossing between Estonia and Latvia.

Leslie Moody Castro writes about arriving in Warsaw, Poland, and being surprised by the nation's culture of capitalism.

Leslie Moody Castro writes about her time in Ukraine while visiting Kiev and Lviv, and her troubles trying to cross the border with Poland.

Leslie Moody Castro writes about her time in Narva, how her family history converges with borders, and her connection to Ukraine

Leslie Moody Castro tells the story of her detainment by Estonian border patrol during her time in residence at the Narva Art Residency in Narva, Estonia.

Part 3 of Leslie Moody Castro's reflections on her recent visit to the NART Artist Residency, which is located in the Estonian border town of Narva.

Part two of Leslie Moody Castro's reflections on her recent visit to the NART Residency, which is located in the Estonian border town of Narva.

Leslie Moody Castro on how a trip to the Estonian border town of Narva brought up memories of her family and life on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Without a doubt I have learned more from Bartlett rather than the other way around.

"KBART is a low-power FM radio station filled with voices from the community, ranging from age 9 to 92."

Sharing space and taking the time to really listen is the least that we can do. 

"The challenge and content that is built into an alternative space allows my work to respond and accentuate nuances of a history."

I'm interested in working with a building that shows its lifetime — that is an architecture of histories and stories and memories that collide with the present.

"There is not one singular narrative for any place or 'community' — each person carries a perspective that can be honored if met with humility."

Thank goodness for Bartlett's people.

"I look forward to hearing stories and to learning the experiences from the Black communities in the town."

We should be skeptical of first appearances, because like any place that has history and memory, Bartlett is neither abandoned, nor anywhere near a ghost town.

This is the Pop Art of Brownsville, Texas — an enigmatic, idiosyncratic place few understand, but where many live.

What happens to the character of these small towns as our city-folk manifest the desire to expand, and as our art centers become more and more decentralized because of it?

Bartlett is in a moment in which the collision of its anachronisms may end up mapping what its future can be.