ArtEffect 2025 Certificate of Excellence Winners

• Jamila Shin (Grade 11) from Bergen County Technical High School in Teterboro, New Jersey, depicted the story of Norman Borlaug in her artwork The Wheat Father of the Green Revolution. Borlaug developed high-yield, disease-resistant crops that helped combat world hunger and sparked the Green Revolution.
• Emily Lu (Grade 9) from YunHuaFang Art Studio in Saratoga, California, depicted the story of Jacob Valentine II in her mixed-media artwork The Embodiment of Our Hope. Valentine was a dedicated advocate for environmental and animal conservation, working to protect fragile ecosystems and endangered species.
• Kevin Chen (Grade 10) from Eastlake High School in Sammamish, Washington, created the digital artwork An Echo Through Time in honor of Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi. Al-Khwarizmi, a 9th-century mathematician, laid the foundation for algebra and introduced the Hindu-Arabic numeral system to the Western world.
• Anya Lee (Grade 8) from The Harker School in San Jose, California, chose Jerrie Cobb as the inspiration for her mixed-media artwork A Beacon of Possibility. Cobb was a pioneering aviator who fought for the inclusion of women in the U.S. space program.
• Eileen Wang (Grade 10) from the Overlake School in Redmond, Washington, painted a portrait of Gene Shoemaker titled Among the Stars. Shoemaker was a geologist and one of the founders of planetary science, whose work helped shape NASA’s approach to space exploration.
• Katherine Holtman (Grade 12) from Kimball High School in Tracy, California, chose Hedy Lamarr as the subject for her mixed-media artwork Beauty and Brilliance. Lamarr, known as a Hollywood actress, was also an inventor who co-developed a frequency-hopping technology that paved the way for modern wireless communication.

Review the ARTEFFECT Ambassadors Info Sheet that provides details on the program overview and timeline, participation requirements, eligibility, and application process.

Each ARTEFFECT Ambassador culminates their visual arts online fellowship with a capstone project that brings the inspiring stories of the LMC Unsung Heroes into their classrooms and communities. As the yearlong program comes to its end, Keri shared about her capstone project. Here is an excerpt from her narrative:

“My completed capstone project, ‘Unsung Heroes Across the Community’, supported students across multiple art courses to explore local artists, research the LMC Unsung Heroes, create finished works of art, and share their research and artwork with the greater community through a culminating collaborative three-month public art exhibit at the local neighborhood center which will conclude at the end of August.“

Thank you to Keri and the students at Kerr High School for your creativity and inspiring ARTEFFECT projects!