My name is Buggsy Malone — a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, artist, and community storyteller based in San Jose, California. For 13 years I served in the Marines, including during Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and carried home the invisible wounds of war. Art became my prescription — a way to process trauma, honor my journey, and reconnect with myself and my community.

Through photography, and mixed media, I explore stories of resilience, identity, and culture. My projects range from documenting farmworkers in Watsonville’s strawberry fields to celebrating Indigenous and Filipino heritage, always with the belief that creativity can heal and connect us.

Out of my own healing journey came two initiatives: Rally Point Arts, a creative hub for veterans and their families, and Help Veterans Heal, a holistic wellness network focused on mind, body, and community care. Both are rooted in a simple truth — healing shouldn’t happen in isolation.

My work is about more than art on the walls. It’s about sparking conversation, building community, and reminding us that our stories — whether captured in brushstrokes, shutter clicks, or lived experience — have the power to heal.