Press Releases
Talented Young Artists Awarded Over $35K in 2025 International ARTEFFECT Competition
34 middle and high school students' Unsung Heroes-themed visual art projects earn worldwide acclaim
June 2, 2025
VIEW THE 2025 AWARD RECIPIENTS
SANTA MONICA, Calif. —ARTEFFECT, an initiative of the Lowell Milken Family Foundation and Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes (LMC), has named 34 winners in the 10th annual ARTEFFECT competition. The international competition invited students in grades 6-12 to explore and champion the stories of LMC Unsung Heroes. Unsung Heroes are role models from history, largely unrecognized by society, who demonstrated extraordinary heroic traits and actions in service to others and made a positive and profound impact on the course of history. These diverse stories span centuries and cut across multiple disciplines including education, civil rights, innovation, healthcare, STEAM, and wartime history. Students creatively interpreted the inspiring stories of Unsung Heroes through original works of art accompanied by artists' impact statements. In total, $37,250 in prizes across multiple categories were awarded to 34 winners in the middle and high school divisions in the 2025 competition.
"Through the focus on Unsung Heroes, these young artists make critical connections between the past, present, and future, and come to recognize their own potential to stimulate positive change in the world. The annual competition invites a range of mediums and artistic expressions. These award-winning projects convey the historical significance of their subjects in burgeoning contemporary styles," said ARTEFFECT Executive Director Dr. Toni Guglielmo. "We applaud the amazing achievements of the 2025 winners."
Jia (Jina) Zhao, an 11th grade student at Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bellevue, Washington, earned the $6,000 Grand Prize. Zhao's acrylic painting, Duty Among Blaze, depicts Unsung Hero James Braidwood, a Scottish firefighter known for establishing the first municipal fire service and implementing innovative techniques to combat fires in the 19th century. "The scene in this painting is based on the Great Fire of Edinburgh in November 1824, a major disaster that James Braidwood and his newly established fire brigade bravely fought and eventually overcame to save the city's residents," Zhao explains in her impact statement. Her painting illustrates the intensity of Braidwood's firefighting profession and pays homage to his steadfast leadership. "As I painted his determined expression and the intense fire scene around him, I kept thinking about how he stayed calm and focused under pressure. That made me ask myself: How do I respond when things get difficult?"
"The ARTEFFECT competition is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for young people to consider, interpret, and create original works of art about Unsung Heroes and the invaluable lessons their heroic deeds exemplify," said Lowell Milken, founder of ARTEFFECT and the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes.
"The voices and collective impact of the students participating in ARTEFFECT are proof positive that celebrating the qualities of character embodied in Unsung Heroes can generate these qualities in younger generations."
The $3,000 High School Best in Show prize was awarded to Lauren Kim, an 11th grade student at Horace Mann School in Bronx, New York. Kim's relief sculpture entitled Vivid Resilience—which she created with clay and acrylic paint on a wood panel—honors civil rights activist and teacher, Clara Luper. "The outlawing of segregation in 1964 was a collective, momentous effort that largely came into being through the persistent action of grassroots organizations, and persevering will of the people," reads Kim's impact statement. "Especially as a student who loves history, art, and culture, I am constantly reminded that in order to coexist, we must always take our time to learn about the people. Who are the people who represent this beautiful art and culture? Who are the faces behind this historical movement? Humans are social, empathetic beings—something which Luper recognized and sought to communicate to others."
Winning the $2,000 High School Second Place prize was Katelyn Lowe, a 12th grade student at George Washington High School in Charleston, West Virginia. Her acrylic painting, An Artist's Modernization of American Indian Art, features meticulously rendered recreations of artworks by Oscar Howe, a Yanktonai Dakota modernist painter. "I believe Oscar Howe was an artist of great spirit," Lowe writes in her impact statement. "It was his desire for Indian culture to live forever through art." Her artwork is a reflective tribute to Howe's powerful artistic legacy. Lowe is a returning ARTEFFECT awardee, as her artwork, A Woman Ahead of Her Time, won High School Best in Show in the 2024 ARTEFFECT Competition.
The recipient of the $2,000 Middle School Best in Show prize was eighth grade student Fuhan (Lila) Xue, who attends Chaparral Middle School in Diamond Bar, California. Xue also chose Unsung Hero Oscar Howe as the inspiration for her digital artwork, Breaking the Chains by Brushstroke. "I wanted to capture Oscar Howe's artistic energy and his fight for the change of prejudice and stereotypes. I created a digital painting showing him holding a brush, surrounded by broken chains and vibrant swirling colors. The broken chains represent the limitations and stereotypes he fought against. The swirling colors are inspired by Howe's own works and style, symbolizing his creativity, courage, and cultural pride," explains Xue in her impact statement.
Grace Zhang, an eighth grade student from Jericho Middle School in Long Island, New York, won the $1,000 Middle School Second Place prize for Bus Ride to Equality, a gouache painting that features Unsung Hero Irene Morgan. "Irene Morgan's impact on the Civil Rights Movement has been overlooked but was very crucial, helping launch the Montgomery Bus Boycott and inspiring figures such as Rosa Parks to act against segregation," writes Zhang in her impact statement. "Irene Morgan glancing at the doves represents her main goal, to achieve equality and peace."
Twelfth grade student Claire Evans of Roger Bacon High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, was awarded the $1,000 Spotlight Prize-Large Format for her mixed-media artwork Mary Anning: The Fossilist, which honors Unsung Hero Mary Anning, an English paleontologist and fossil collector born in 1799. "I can relate to her love of discovery, as well as her experience fossil hunting with her family," Evans writes about her choice of hero.
Eden Weathers, an 11th grade student at Harrington High School in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, won the $1,000 Spotlight Prize-Sculpture/3D for the bronze crown they created in memory of ethnobotanist Dr. Isabella Aiona Abbott entitled Aliʻi of the Algae: Crown of the Sea. Weathers writes in their impact statement, "I chose bronze to convey both strength and elegance, hoping to reflect the grace of a woman who spent her life sharing her culture and protecting our oceans." Twelfth grade student April Truong of Poway High School in Poway, California, also found inspiration in Dr. Abbott. "To represent her life's dedication to the field, I drew two versions of her: young and old," writes Truong about her digital artwork Limu and Her Lady of the Sea, which won a $1,000 Spotlight Prize-Unsung Hero.
Three students selected Unsung Heroes from World War II as the inspiration for their $1,000 Spotlight Prize-Unsung Hero projects. Xinyue (Emily) Ren, an 11th grade student at San Jose, California's BASIS Independent Silicon Valley, made her mixed-media drawing, The Courage to Stand in Solidarity, in honor of Ralph Lazo. "His willingness to stand alongside those who were unjustly imprisoned, despite not being targeted himself, challenges me to step beyond my own silence and comfort," she writes. "I find his creativity and leadership inspirational," writes ninth grade student Se-a (Lucy) Min from Seoul Scholars international in South Korea, about the inspiration behind her painting, Andrew Jackson Higgins and the Higgins Boat. Elyn Tao, a 10th grade student at Concord Academy in Concord, Massachusetts, explains the inspiration behind her award-winning oil painting, A Comet Through the Dark: The Silent Light of De Jongh: "Andrée De Jongh was a war hero and remains one today. I chose her because her courage doesn’t belong in the past, but continues to grow with each passing moment."
The 23 students chosen as Certificate of Excellence awardees found inspiration in Unsung Heroes from many different eras and professions.
Several $750 Certificate of Excellence awardees created remarkable artworks inspired by people who saved lives through their work in healthcare-related fields: seventh grade student Mia McDowell from West Middle School in Byron Center, Michigan, paid homage to Ens. Jane Kendeigh in A Woman that Changed History. Tenth grade student Brandon Hanaoka from Lakeside School in Seattle, Washington, told Martin Couney's story through his acrylic painting, Infant Eyes. Hanaoka was also a finalist in the 2024 ARTEFFECT Competition. Eleventh grade student Hrithika K. Sunil from Sharjah Indian School in Sarjah, United Arab Emirates, looked to Kadambini Ganguly as the inspiration for her award-winning mixed-media work Kadambini Ganguly: In Her Hands. Seventh grade student Lily Manoochehri Farr from Bernardo Heights Middle School in San Diego, California, honored Mary Ann Bickerdyke in her mixed-media artwork The Life of Mary Bickerdyke. Eleventh grade student Yuhan Zhou from Newport High School in Bellevue, Washington, used acrylic paint to render the story of Eugene Wilson Caldwell in The Price of Vision. Tenth grade student Hari Jeon from South Forsyth High School in Cumming, Georgia, painted These Are My Children in honor of Roslï Näf. Tenth grade student Tina Zhao from Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bellevue, Washington, illustrated Cordelia Harvey's story in her acrylic painting, Nurse Harvey's War Time.
Other $750 Certificate of Excellence awardees honored civil rights advocates through their artworks. Charlize Holmes, an 11th grade student from Plainfield Academy for the Arts and Advanced Studies in Plainfield, New Jersey, based charcoal drawing A March To Remember on the story of Sheyann Webb. Yoonha Moon, a 10th grade student at Seoul Foreign School in South Korea drew Journal of Justice: L Alex Wilson in honor of the eponymous journalist. Sophia Schlueter, 12th grade student at Brownell Talbot in Omaha, Nebraska, paid homage to Judy Heumann in her acrylic painting, Power in Protest. Ninth grade student Deepika Menon from Palo Alto High School in Palo Alto, California, expressed the story of Inez Milholland in an oil painting entitled How Long Must Women Wait for Liberty? Michelle S. Lee, a 10th grade student at Branksome Hall Asia in Seogwipo-si, South Korea, depicted the story of Claudette Colvin in her artwork The First to Stand, The First to Fight. Emily Lu, a ninth grade student who attends YunHuaFang Art Studio in Saratoga, California, chose Jacob Valentine II, who advocated for environmental and animal conservation, as the inspiration for her mixed-media artwork The Embodiment of Our Hope.
Unsung Heroes who worked across the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math were also popular with the $750 Certificate of Excellence awardees. Eighth grade student Anya Lee from The Harker School in San Jose, California, chose Jerrie Cobb as the inspiration for her mixed-media artwork, A Beacon of Possibility. Eileen Wang, a 10th grade student from the Overlake School in Redmond, Washington, painted the portrait of Gene Shoemaker and titled it Among the Stars. Kevin Chen, a 10th grade student from Eastlake High School in Sammamish, Washington, created digital artwork An Echo Through Time in honor of Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi. Twelfth grade student Katherine Holtman from Kimball High School in Tracy, California, chose Hedy Lamarr as the subject for her mixed-media artwork Beauty and Brilliance. Jamila Shin, an 11th grade student from Bergen County Technical High School in Teterboro, New Jersey, drew inspiration from Norman Borlaug to create The Wheat Father of the Green Revolution.
$750 Certificate of Excellence awardees were also inspired by several Unsung Heroes who are remembered for their courageous wartime acts. Grace Li, a ninth grade student from Lakeside School in Seattle, Washington, painted A Leader Beyond the Battlefield in honor of Sarah Bradlee Fulton. Irena Sendler's story served as the subject of Echoes Beneath the Roots by Betty Zhu, a 10th grade student at Walnut High School in Walnut, California. The award-winning drawing by Kevin Zhu, an 11th grade student at Lynbrook High School in San Jose, California, is named after Guy Gabaldon. Ninth grade student Raaga Bukkaraju from Bridgeland High School in Cypress, Texas, used the story of Noor Inayat-Khan as the inspiration for mixed-media artwork Madeleine; the Dove. Olivia Suh, a ninth grade student at Torrey Pines High School in San Diego, California, honored Eileen Nearne in her digital artwork, Silent Bravery.
The ARTEFFECT judging panel consisted of LMC's executive leadership as well as visual arts experts across the curatorial, educational, and graphic design fields. Award winners receive cash prizes, and their projects are showcased on LMC’s website, listed along with their sponsoring teachers. Award-winning artworks are featured in ARTEFFECT exhibitions.
Participation in the ARTEFFECT annual competition is free and open to all youth in grades 6-12. The 2026 ARTEFFECT competition will open for submissions in October 2025. Visit the ARTEFFECT website for more information.
ABOUT ARTEFFECT/LMC
Established in 2016, ARTEFFECT is an initiative of the Lowell Milken Family Foundation, and the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes. ARTEFFECT is an expanding arts education initiative that includes an international student art competition, professional development offerings including an ARTEFFECT Ambassadors fellowship, and exhibitions. ARTEFFECT invites learners and their communities to engage with the stories of the LMC Unsung Heroes—individuals who took heroic actions that made a positive and profound impact on the course of history. These diverse stories span centuries and cut across multiple disciplines including education, civil rights, innovation, healthcare, STEAM, and wartime history. Thousands of young artists in grades 6-12 from around the world build their creative and critical thinking skills by crafting visual art submissions for the competition. The ARTEFFECT initiative affirms the message that one person has the power to make a positive and profound difference in the lives of others. Connect with ARTEFFECT on Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.