The Fundred Project: Initiated by Mel Chin

About

While visiting New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, artist Mel Chin learned about the silent storm of lead poisoning that had been plaguing the city and the rest of the country for decades. Hundreds of thousands of children are poisoned each year, with symptoms and consequences affecting them over their lifetime. Recognizing the scale of the problem, he initiated a nationwide collaboration called the Fundred Project, which is a tangible and creative means to draw awareness about the dangers of lead poisoning, inspire change, and empower children, communities, and leaders across the country.

Since 2008, the Fundred Project has given people the freedom to create alternative currency in the form of Fundred dollar bills. Each Fundred is an original work of art, an individually hand-drawn interpretation of a $100 bill that illustrates what each participant values most. Over half a million Fundreds have been drawn by people throughout the United States and, taken together, they are a tangible expression of people’s voices and the power of collective action toward a future free of lead poisoning.

The goal is to have the equivalent of the Fundreds’ worth applied to lead poisoning solutions. After Fundreds are created and presented at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, they will be sent to the Fundred Reserve—where they are presented to our nation’s policymakers and will be added to the permanent collection of the Brooklyn Museum.