Bootsy Holler
Contaminated
Oct 1 - 31 , 2026
Contaminated is a layered exploration of the tens of thousands affected by radiation illnesses and the secrets kept at the Hanford Nuclear Site.
Located in southeastern Washington State, the Hanford Site was the birthplace of the world’s first nuclear bomb, which was utilized during World War II by the United States. In late 1942, my grandfather, Willie, arrived in the area as one of the initial land surveyors employed by the Hanford Engineering Works, a covert operation known as the Manhattan Project. Soon, my grandfather Dusty was recruited by DuPont, the primary operating contractor, and became a chemist at Hanford.
An undertaking of this magnitude had never been attempted, and the records maintained on employees’ safety years later were deemed inadequate. The United States Department of Labor now administers the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA), which commenced in October 2000. This Act provides compensation to employees and their families who have contracted specific illnesses related to their employment at the Hanford Site.
Contaminated encapsulates the consequences experienced by the individuals and the land in and around the Hanford Area. This is where I was born. This is where my family lived until 2022.
My family, thousands of other employees, locals, and the land have all been impacted. In the 1990s, following the end of the Cold War, the nuclear reactors at the Hanford Area were decommissioned, encased in tombs of cement, and left behind with 56 million gallons of highly hazardous, mixed nuclear waste.
To this day, the Hanford Area houses two-thirds of the United States’ radioactive waste and stands as one of the world’s biggest and most complex environmental cleanup efforts.
Contaminated reflects my personal experience growing up in this highly charged and secretive town, and its profound impact on the individuals and the environment.
In-Person Artist Talk
Sat, Oct 3 at 2 PM
Bootsy Holler (American, b. 1969, she/her) earned a BA in Studio Arts from WWU in Bellingham. After graduating, she started a design manufacturing business and worked as a freelance photographer. In the 1990s and 2000s, she captured bands in the Seattle music scene. In 2025, Damiani Books published MAKiNG iT, an intimate documentary about her experiences shooting in the scene and the passion to create.
As a multidisciplinary artist, Holler has dedicated three decades to documenting and creating work about family, history, and the power to tell stories. In her new work she transcends traditional flat prints, creating photo-sculptures.
Holler’s work has been exhibited globally in galleries and institutions, including Leica London. Her photographs have appeared in publications like VOGUE, Rolling Stone, Smithsonian, and Chinese Photographer Magazine, and her seminal work is in the Grammy Museum’s permanent collection.
Bootsy is a full-time artist living in Los Angeles with her family. She spends her summers in the San Juan Islands of Washington.