Via Burnsville, NC, USA
Artist Mel Chin, who has played an important role in the rise and continuation of conceptual art since the 1970s, is known for works that defy easy categorization. Chin has garnered international acclaim for his use of art to spread political awareness and expose social injustice, working with sculpture, video and land art, among other mediums. His multi-disciplinary collaborative work Operation Paydirt (2008–ongoing) seeks to raise awareness and implement solutions for 100% lead poisoning prevention. Chin’s The Fundred Dollar Bill Project supports this ongoing work by encouraging communities around the nation to make their own Fundred Dollar Bills—original, hand-drawn interpretations of the U.S. $100 bill—to be exchanged by the U.S. Congress for real funding. His influential oeuvre has won him an extensive list of awards, from organizations including the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts and Art Matters.