Mel Chin's Fundred Dollar Bill Project at Arlington Arts Center
Counterfeit with a cause
Article Tools
Artist Mel Chin could possibly be the mastermind of the largest counterfeiting operation in the U.S., using children to help him print up his funny money. But he’s not doing it for personal wealth. He’s doing it for lead contamination.
The Arlington Arts Center opened two galleries on April 17 for Chin's Fundred Dollar Bill Project, which aims to raise awareness of the high levels of lead soil contamination in New Orleans. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Chin visited the city and learned about its long struggle with the harmful substance, which was pushed into the spotlight after concerns about the “toxic soup” created by floodwaters. In 2006, the Environmental Protection Agency flagged various parts of the city for an increase in lead concentration, but some critics accused the agency of not doing enough, like conducting clean-up operations.
"Here's a city that has been abused by every known agency," Chin said. "And yet through all that, it has the capacity to come back."
Chin is taking up the task through Operation Paydirt, a collective art project to “treat, lock, and cover” the soil in New Orleans. The goal: to raise $300 million and help clean up the mess using a phosphate additive, which will render the lead harmless. The only problem: getting the money. "We can't raise that much money," Chin said. "But we can probably make that much money."
That’s where his Fundred Dollar Bill Project comes in. Chin hopes to collect $300 million in “fundreds," which are mock dollar bills drawn by those who are most at risk when it comes to lead poisoning—children. Studies have shown that children who are exposed to high levels of lead can develop learning and behavioral disabilities, and can become more violent as they grow older.
When enough fundreds are produced by students in 35 states, Chin will pick the bills up in his own armored truck—powered by vegetable oil from school cafeterias—and deliver them to Congress in hopes of an even exchange for some real money. "We're going to deliver, but it's not an effort to embarrass anyone,” Chin said. “It's not an adversarial thing. This is just pragmatic."
Chin said he doesn’t expect Congress to hand over $300 million, but thinks he might receive in-kind donations to finish what he describes as “essentially, a landscape project.”
