Why did we do this?

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We didn’t write this to take someone down. Constructive criticism is necessary for growth.  We did it for the health and safety of Seattle’s community art spaces. There are so few accessible art studios and gathering spaces in this city, and participation often involves navigating around the self-serving egos of the (usually) men who run them.  

For too many years we have watched beautiful, collective dreams emerge, only to devolve into the hypocritical power-trip of one selfish person.  We have repeatedly witnessed too many excuses hastily granted, enabling one individual to act like a domineering opportunist.  The result?  A perennial deja-vu, as exhausting as it is insulting.  Must we sacrifice the communities we have built simply because some bad actor throws a tantrum and gaslights us whenever we expect accountability?  Must we always cater to one fragile charlatan’s baggage and neglect everyone else?

We would rather not witness more people unknowingly give their (uncompensated) time and energy to a project that is unable to practice its stated values or deliver on its many promises. Now that CAM is attempting expansion to a third building and even aspiring to manage residential spaces, we are increasingly concerned about the potential impact on anyone whose access to housing (or any resource) is subject to the toxic behavior and egoist whims of one unaccountable man.

You may find that what we are describing is a rather familiar scenario in this city and in this society.  You could easily replace “Timothy” with many other names, and this narrative would remain annoyingly accurate.  Fortunately for us all, it’s never too late to take a step back, take a look around, and then finally stop force-feeding bullshit to one’s collaborators and community!