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.

Here is an excerpt from Emily’s Capstone Project report:

“By learning about diverse unsung heroes, students gained a broader perspective on history and the contributions of individuals from different backgrounds. The act of translating these stories into visual form through sgraffito allowed for deeper emotional connection and creative expression.”

Congratulations to Emily and her students at Castro Valley High School in Castro Valley, California for a year full of spectacular ceramics projects inspired by LMC Unsung Heroes!

In this year’s international competition, students in grades 6-12 explored and championed the stories of LMC Unsung Heroes—role models who made a positive and profound, yet previously unrecognized, impact on the course of history. For their entries, these young artists created original works of art and wrote reflective impact statements to reframe these untold stories in an array of artistic expressions and reflections.

“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,” says Lowell Milken, founder of ARTEFFECT and the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes. “By giving visual form to acts of heroism, students deeply engage with their subject, asking questions not only of themselves as artists but also of themselves as human beings. This process unleashes the power of art to inspire ARTEFFECT participants to celebrate the past and discover their potential to influence the future.”

Thank you to all sponsoring classroom educators, art instructors, families, and communities for supporting these talented young artists through the 2026 competition. ARTEFFECT looks forward to celebrating these achievements over the coming weeks!