Dear friends and supporters,

Over the past few months, the Anti-Uranium Mapping Project (AUMP) has reached several meaningful milestones. In August, I had my first solo show at CENTER gallery, marking an important step in sharing this work with a broader audience. The project was also included in Essential Elements at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, where my work is currently featured alongside artists such as Tony Abeyta, Leah Mata Fragua, Rowan Harrison, Bob Haozous, Cannupa Hanska Luger, Michael Namingha, and Mallery Quetawki. I also led an environmentally focused arts workshop at Santa Fe Community College through Germany’s environmental arts initiative, POCACITO, where students explored sustainability through a counter-mapping activity—an approach central to AUMP’s mission to rethink and decolonize cartographic practices.

As the touring exhibition gains momentum, I’m turning my focus to the next phase of AUMP: expanding the website’s platform functionality. Working closely with developers, we’re building immersive mapping tools that allow audiences to explore the research, testimonies, and histories I’ve gathered in a more intuitive way—one that increases retention of information by enhancing modes of engagement. 

This winter, I’m committing a full-time schedule to advancing this work. The archival curation for digital story-mapping process involves reviewing and organizing collected materials, selecting the most relevant information, and structuring it to guide the narrative experience on the website. This process transforms complex histories into a clear, interactive platform for learning.

To sustain this effort, I am seeking to establish a modest monthly base income of $2,000 during these next three months (December-March), totaling $6,000. A stable foundation will allow me to continue developing the project with the time, energy, and care it requires. Programs like Ireland’s Basic Income for the Arts have shown that reliable support significantly increases artists’ well-being, creative focus, and overall capacity—outcomes I hope to mirror as I transition away from freelance photography and toward more research-driven work, grant writing, artist residencies, and community-based workshops.

To sustain this chapter, I’m launching a fundraising goal of $10,000. Here’s how that total breaks down:

This provides $2,000 per month of uninterrupted time for me to focus on:

Although the touring exhibition is now self-sustaining, there is still a need for printed materials for workshops, maps, and special photo requests. Investing in essential office and printing tools allows me to handle these needs in-house, efficiently and cost-effectively.

  Total: $3,996

This support allows me to return to the deeper level of creativity, presence, and intention that grounded the project when it began in 2022—something that has recently been harder to sustain. AUMP is not simply an art initiative; it is an educational tool that challenges the continuation of nuclear colonialism by preserving stories long overlooked by federal institutions and creating resources that provide future generations with truth, context, and agency.

By donating today, you are helping ensure this work continues with the focus, integrity, and longevity it deserves.

Thank you for considering support at this crucial moment. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns you may have. 

With gratitude,

 Shayla

Monthly Option: Instead of a one-time donation, consider signing up for a monthly donation via my general support page to continue supporting the project’s operational needs.