The Art Colony should have been a haven for creativity and collaboration—a space where artists from all walks of life could thrive together. But that was far from the reality. Instead of a flourishing collective, it became a kingdom dominated by two dictators, Baxter and Magoski. Their fierce rule still casts a shadow over me, even more than ten years later. It’s mind-boggling how a place meant to celebrate free expression and art could stifle it so brutally.
Let’s think about this, everyone. Shouldn’t an art community be a place of openness and understanding? Instead, I, along with others like Max Roughan, found ourselves banned, blacklisted, and shut out because of mental illness. In my case, Baxter and Magoski’s iron grip on the Art Colony went as far as instructing galleries and coffeehouses in Fullerton—and even in nearby Santa Ana—not to associate with me. Their actions weren’t about preserving art; they were about controlling it.
And they succeeded, but at what cost?
I'm still dealing with the dominance of their decisions a decade later, and I know I’m not the only one who feels the same. Max Roughan, another artist targeted for mental illness, faced similar treatment. It’s a sobering reminder that when you play into a broken system, that system may very well break you in return.
The reality is this: we’re all dysfunctional in one way or another. But dysfunction should never be a reason for exclusion, especially in a space that claims to embrace artistic expression. Instead of artists celebrating their uniqueness, we were punished for it. This isn’t just my story; it’s a pattern. It’s a reflection of a system that doesn’t value individuals, but instead values control.
For those still within these systems, I ask: think about the role you play. Are you enabling a broken structure, or are you working to change it? You’re not the only dysfunctional one in this painting.
I’ll leave you with this: the system may have broken us, but we’re still creating, still resisting. The Colony may have blacklisted me, but it won’t silence me.
by Dan Joyce
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