Submissions for the 2025 Competition are open October 1, 2024 to April 27, 2025.
 

Who is eligible?

The 2025 ARTEFFECT annual competition is open to all U.S. and international students in grades 6-12. Students may develop their projects independently (outside the classroom) with the confirmation of an instructor or parent or legal guardian. Group projects are ineligible.

Submitted projects must be entirely student-produced. The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools by students is prohibited at any stage of the creative process for artworks and Impact Statements. Be advised that submitted artworks and Impact Statements will be scanned for AI usage.

Students who have won two top awards in previous ARTEFFECT competitions are no longer eligible. Artworks that have previously won an award in another competition are not eligible. No submissions to the 2025 ARTEFFECT competition can win more than one award or prize.

See our FAQ page for more information about eligibility. 

What are the guidelines to participate?

All projects submitted to the competition should have the following components:

 

Submission Guidelines and Materials

Unsung Hero Focus

Student artworks must focus on an Unsung Hero chosen from the pre-approved list of LMC Unsung Heroes. The Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes has an expanding list of over 130 individuals spanning time and various disciplines. Students choosing an Unsung Hero not on the pre-approved list must seek approval for their topic from ARTEFFECT prior to submitting their entry.

Unsung Heroes are individuals who took extraordinary actions in service to others and society yet are not widely recognized for their contributions. They demonstrated traits including courage, compassion, humility, perseverance, responsibility, vision and valor. Unsung Heroes positively and profoundly made a difference in the lives of others and had an impact on the course of history.Explore the stories of these individuals as inspiring role models!
 

Visual Artwork

Students must create an original work of art for their entry. The ARTEFFECT competition accepts visual artworks of various mediums including painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, collage, mixed media, digital art, installation, and textiles. Students may create artworks using varied media including:

• 2D dry media such as graphite, charcoal, colored pencils, pastels.
• 2D wet media such as acrylic, oil, watercolor, gouache, ink wash, printmaking.
• 2D digital media. Digital art files should be at least 300 dpi. Multimedia films and photography are not eligible.
• Various mixed media incorporating photography, digital art, textiles, collage, paper, and other materials.
• 3D media such as ceramic, pottery, porcelain, fibers, metals, wood, glass, etc.

There is no size limit. Artwork media and dimensions must be listed on the competition submission form.
 

Impact Statement

In developing an ARTEFFECT project, the student prepares a written Impact Statement (500-1000 words) to accompany the visual artwork. In this essay, the student should address the following prompts:

1. Introduce your Unsung Hero. Explain how and why you chose this individual. What do you find inspirational or most admire about this individual as a role model (e.g., character traits, heroic actions, area of expertise)?
2. Discuss your Unsung Hero’s impact. Share about this Unsung Hero’s story. How did your Unsung Hero contribute to a positive change in the course of history or have an impact on the lives of others?
3. Describe your artistic vision and process. What is the vision behind your creative interpretation of this story? How does your artwork express your Unsung Hero’s character traits, heroic actions, or impact? Discuss your choices of materials and techniques and any research used to develop your project.
4. Share the impact of your artwork. How will your Unsung Hero’s story influence your actions or outlook on life? Discuss any hopes and plans for sharing your artwork with others. List any links that illustrate the extended reach of your project into your community

Download the Impact Statement Outline for reference.
 

How are projects evaluated?

ARTEFFECT is a juried competition with a panel comprising experts and practitioners from the fields of the fine arts, art education, art history, design, and museums. The judging panel will give the most consideration to entries that celebrate the Unsung Hero’s story in a high-quality and well-crafted artwork that is visually compelling and original in concept.

The following weighted criteria is used to evaluate projects:

Creative Interpretation of the Unsung Hero’s Story (40%)
 The artwork demonstrates a thorough understanding of the Unsung Hero’s story in an innovative and exceptionally thoughtful way. The use of well-developed artistic ideas expresses an interpretation of the Unsung Hero’s character traits, heroic act(s), and/or social impact in a manner that is thought-provoking, complex, and compelling.

Aesthetic Value (40%)
 The artwork demonstrates a high level of technical skill, craftsmanship, and outstanding execution of the media. The artist applied refined artistic techniques to the creation of the artwork with a thoughtful, eye-catching composition, strong and distinctive artistic voice, and high aesthetic value.

Impact Statement (20%)
 The essay is 500-1000 words, and addresses all five prompt questions in a clear, captivating, and articulate synthesis. It presents the artist’s impressions about Unsung Hero’s inspiring qualities and impact, and the artwork’s intended meaning or message. The artist includes a thorough description of their creative process, an authentic reflection on the impact this project had on their life, and a specific plan for sharing their artwork with others. The writing uses standard English conventions with a high level of competency.

View the Judging Rubric for more details.
 

How are projects submitted?

The 2025 ARTEFFECT competition is open for submissions from October 1, 2024 through Sunday, April 27, 2025. Entries to the competition are submitted through the online platform Submittable.

An eligible and complete entry must contain:

• A fully completed online form, including student and parent or legal guardian digital signatures.
• High-resolution artwork images (.jpg or .png format, 5 MB limit). At least one image is required for 2D artworks, and three images are required for 3D artworks.
• A written Impact Statement.

All entries must be submitted by the deadline on Sunday, April 27, 2025 at 11:59 PT Pacific Time. Late submissions are not accepted.
 

Submission Confirmations:

For Students: After submitting your artwork, you will receive an email confirmation from Submittable. To ensure you receive this email, please add the "notifications@email.submittable.com" email to your email contact list or safelist. If you do not receive a confirmation email, contact us at arteffect@lowellmilken.org or log into your Submittable account to confirm your application status.

For Sponsor Teachers: If you would like to follow up on application submissions and confirmations for your students, please email us at arteffect@lowellmilken.org.

Need help submitting?

You can send Submittable an email with their form here: https://submittable1.my.site.com/submittablehelp/s/14873512

NOTE: Submittable will respond within business hours of 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM MT, Monday-Friday.
 

For any technical assistance while submitting, you can reach out to the ARTEFFECT team at arteffect@lowellmilken.org for any questions about your application.
 

We encourage all applicants to submit at least one day before the deadline.