The Poster

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A recent video circulating on social media details Common Area Maintenance’s hope to acquire and transform the El Rey building in Belltown. While CAM paints a utopian vision of artistic collaboration, community space, and affordable housing, this call for donations and endorsements has given us some serious pause. It reminds us of the repeated false promises and social shortcomings we have witnessed and experienced from Timothy. We feel like we are failing his future collaborators if we don’t ask the question…

TIMOTHY, are you ready to be accountable now?

Your ability to engage incredible and talented artists is enviable, as is your knack for finding community builders, willing to give it all to your projects. However, your behavior has left many of us who have interacted with CAM feeling heart broken, used, and manipulated after having our values and contributions cynically trampled. Now that you have shaken all the hands, kissed all the babies, and taken money from the corporate overlords, you are in a great position to have an amazing impact in the Seattle art community. 

The intention of this letter is not to ruin your life or your project. We have always wanted you to be who you say you are, and we know you are capable of it.

In light of that, we have a few questions. We are asking on behalf of all the people who have or will give you their time, labor, and financial resources:

Why are you so resistant to financial transparency? Where does the money go? Does anyone know besides you? 

How will you live up to your commitments of community and care, and no longer devolve into manipulation and gaslighting, especially in a context where you feel your authority is being challenged?

Your actions have taken advantage of the vulnerability of many collaborators with CAM. Your choices only allow safety when it doesn’t challenge you. That is the definition of dangerous. How will CAM actually be a safe space? 

How will you acknowledge the hurt you've caused with your toxic leadership?  How will you be better in the future?

Will you fully commit to being responsible in your intimate relationships within the CAM projects? 

In support of your promise of horizontal leadership, how will you fire yourself as the boss? Will CAM become a community-led space that aligns with its stated values or will it continue to be your (Timothy’s) playhouse.