Mary Jenea Sanchez grew up on the border between Douglas, Arizona and Agua Prieta, Sonora. As a child she recalls crossing the border two to three times a day for things such  as school and shopping.  “For my brother and me, it was a game of whose turn it was to pick the lane and guess which agents would be waiting for us,” recalls Sanchez.

When she moved to Phoenix to study at Arizona State University, conversations about the border region didn’t represent the way she felt about her experiences growing up on the border. Ever since, she has been creating art to help others see the border the way that she does. Her work focuses primarily on feminist topics, accompanied by the life of a border citizen. Sanchez explains, “What I love about making art about the border is that it’s not only about the border, it’s not only about Douglas and Agua Prieta, but it can mean something to folks living on another border somewhere else in the world. I hope the meaning can transcend geography, cultures and ideoligies.” Be sure to check out Sanchez’s work sometime at her website http://www.marystephensaz.com/borderblog/artist-interview-m-jenea-sanchez