ARTEFFECT is a juried competition with a panel comprising experts and practitioners from the fields of art education, art history, design, fine arts, 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. View the Judging Rubric for more details.

‍

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 four 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.

‍

Create an original work of art about your Unsung Hero. The ARTEFFECT competition accepts visual artworks of various mediums including painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, collage, mixed media, digital art, installation, and textiles. You may create artworks using varied media including:

‍

• 2D Dry Media: 2D dry media such as graphite, charcoal, colored pencils, pastels.
• 2D Web Media: 2D wet media such as acrylic, oil, watercolor, gouache, ink wash, printmaking.
• 2D Digital Media: 2D digital media. Digital art files should be at least 300 dpi. Multimedia films and photography are not eligible.
• Mixed Media: Various mixed media incorporating photography, digital art, textiles, collage, paper, and other materials.
• 3D Media: 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. 

‍

Process Photos: while creating your artwork, take photos during the entire creation process. You will need to upload at least 3 concept sketches and in-process photos of your artwork as part of your submission.

‍

Write a reflective Impact Statement (500-1000 words) to accompany your visual artwork. In this essay, address the following prompts:

• 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)?
• 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?
• 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.
• 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. Submit your Impact Statement in English.

‍

You will need the following information and items to submit your project:

‍

• Information about your artwork.
• High-resolution images of your artwork. At least one image is required for 2D artworks, and four images are required for 3D artworks (.jpg or .png formats, 5MB limit).
• Your written impact statement.
• Student and school contact information.
• Parental/Legal guardian consent.
• Optional: A photo of you with your artwork (an in-process photos).

‍

Once you have gathered the required materials and information, you are ready to submit your project on Submittable! You will need to create a free account on Submittable and you can save and review your entry before finalizing your submission.

‍