Entries are being accepted for the Unsung Heroes ARTEFFECT Competition from all middle and high school students who want to use their art to change the world!

Since it was first given out in 2016, hundreds of students have taken part in ARTEFFECT, both domestically and internationally. The goal of the competition is to create a visual artwork that imaginatively tells the tale of a historical unsung hero. Through in-depth investigation and project-based learning made possible by the Lowell Milken Center’s Discovery Award Competition, the hidden stories of Unsung Heroes are revealed. The entries that honor the Unsung Hero’s service with a superior piece of artwork that is both conceptually and aesthetically appealing will receive the greatest weight from the judging panel.

Students can interpret the story of the Unsung Hero in various ways, such as through a landscape, symbolic abstraction, portraiture, or narrative sequence. Submissions in various formats are welcome, including digital, mixed-media, 2—and 3-dimensional paintings, drawings, and sculptures.

Students will also be required to submit a written “Impact Statement” along with their artwork. This article includes the Unsung Hero’s special contribution, the student’s creative process and interpretation, and the student’s plans to share their artwork within their own community.

Quick Details:

• Provided by: Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes
• Deadline: Apr 27, 2025
• Result Announced: Jun 2, 2025
• Gender: Any
• Type: Prize
• Eligible Nations: All

Benefits:

Top Prizes

• Grand Prize—$6,000
• Spotlight Prize—$1,000

High School (9th- 12th grade)

• Best in Show– $3,000
• Second Place–$2,000

Middle School (6th- 8th grade)

• Best in Show–$2,000
• Second Place–$1,000

Eligibility Criteria:

• The ARTEFFECT 2025–2026 Competition is available to all middle and high school students in the United States and other countries.
• Students have to do all the projects.
• Pupils who have won two prizes before are no longer qualified.
• No entry is eligible to win more than one prize.

Before Apply Refer to These Links:

• DOWNLOAD THE LESSON PLAN
• DOWNLOAD THE RUBRIC
• DOWNLOAD CLASSROOM POSTER
• BROWSE THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ONLINE SESSIONS

Visual Art Mediums

Submissions via a variety of media are welcome, including:

• 2-D dry media, including pastels, colored pencils, charcoal, and graphite.
• 2-D wet media: printing, gouache, watercolor, oil, acrylic, and so forth.
• Digital media in two dimensions
• a variety of mixed media, including paper, collage, digital, textiles, and graphics.
• 3-D media, including ceramics, assemblage, and sculpture.

No size restriction applies. The competition submission form must include information on the artwork, media, and dimensions.

Impact Statement

An Impact Statement, which should be no more than 500 words but no more than 1,000 words, must be attached to every submission. Students should respond to the following prompts in this essay:

• What about your selected unsung hero inspires you, and why?
• How do the heroic deeds and character of your Unsung Hero come through in your work?
• What artistic interpretation is driven by a vision?
• In what ways has the process of making this piece of art altered your perspective on life?
• How are you going to engage your community with your artwork and/or experiences? As appropriate, add images and links to websites to demonstrate the project’s wider scope.

Click this link to view the proposed Impact Paper Structure.

How to Apply?

• Click the “APPLY NOW” button to get to the Apply link.
• Make an account and sign in.
• Fill out the online form and submit it as directed.

Students are required to turn in the following documents:

• a completed online application
• Photographs of their artwork (in.jpg or.png format): no more than three, with a 5MB restriction.
• A statement of impact.
• Parental and sponsoring teacher approval

                              Apply Now

Similar Opportunities:

• Call for Nomination: FAO World Food Forum Flagship Event 2024 in Italy
• The Falling Walls Global International Competition 2024 for Science Enthusiasts
• McKinsey Company Next Generation Women Leaders (NGWL) Program 2024
• WE Empower UN SDG Challenge for Women Enterpreneurs 2024

For more details, refer to FAQ or LMS’s website.