ARTEFFECT Gallery at D.C.’s Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream Showcases Talents of Over 40 Young Artists
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
ARTEFFECT Gallery at D.C.’s Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream Showcases Talents of Over 40 Young Artists
Download List of Featured Young Artists
Santa Monica, Calif. (January 12, 2026) – A rich tapestry marking the courage of an American Revolutionary War heroine … a striking portrait of Hollywood actor and inventor Hedy Lamarr … and an elaborate, 3D multimedia book honoring the father of algebra … all created by students in grades 6–12. These are among the 43 stunning artworks on display at the Lowell Milken Family Foundation’s permanent, 3,000-square-foot ARTEFFECT Gallery on the fifth floor of the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream (MCAAD) in Washington, D.C.—a newly minted Best New Museum by USA Today’s 10 Best Reader’s Choice Awards.
The inaugural exhibition titled Visualizing Impact includes visual artworks, text panels, and short films that celebrate the inspiring stories of Unsung Heroes—role models, largely unrecognized by society, who demonstrated heroic character traits such as courage, selflessness, and perseverance and took extraordinary actions in service to others that made a positive and profound impact on the course of history.
Founded by Lowell Milken in 2016, ARTEFFECT fosters reflection on the invaluable contributions of these Unsung Heroes through the creation of original visual art. ARTEFFECT offerings include an annual international art competition for middle and secondary school students, museum exhibitions, and the ARTEFFECT Ambassadors program—a prestigious visual arts fellowship for educators, online professional development sessions, and educational resources for championing the stories of Unsung Heroes through the visual arts.
“Celebrating the qualities of character embodied in the Unsung Heroes motivates younger generations to aspire to values essential during the challenging times we face as a nation and as a worldwide community,” said LMC and ARTEFFECT Founder Lowell Milken. “ARTEFFECT provides powerful opportunities to promote these values to students in schools.”
The young artists featured in the exhibition interpreted the stories of Unsung Heroes through creating original artworks, writing impact statements, and sharing their projects with their classrooms and communities. They chose their subjects from ARTEFFECT’s expanding directory of over 100 diverse individuals spanning centuries and all fields of endeavor. The stories were unearthed and developed through project-based learning activities and the Discovery Award at the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes (LMC).
Visualizing Impact showcases award-winning ARTEFFECT artworks created by students in grades 6–12 over the last decade from the United States and other countries. Artworks on view span a range of media—including painting, drawing, sculpture, and collage—and encompass diverse artistic expressions, from narrative to conceptual styles. The exhibition explores the powerful stories of Unsung Heroes through thematic groups: Freedom, Justice, Remembering the Holocaust, Wartime Unsung Heroes, Women in STEAM, Innovation and New Technologies, and Medical Breakthroughs. The gallery will present new ARTEFFECT projects on an annual basis.
“The exhibition spotlights the transformative power of the visual arts through the artworks and the artists’ reflections,” said ARTEFFECT Executive Director Dr. Toni Guglielmo. “As young artists investigate the stories of these Unsung Heroes, they discover their own potential to make a difference and the capacity of their artmaking to inspire positive change within their communities.”
Visitors enter the exhibition through a multimedia threshold that introduces the concept of Unsung Heroes and their heroic character traits and actions. In the art gallery, each artwork is accompanied by a short biography about the depicted Unsung Hero and an excerpt from the artist’s impact statement. The gallery also includes a theater featuring short films on Unsung Heroes including Irena Sendler and the founding story of LMC, Sylvia Mendez, and the transformative experiences of students and educators who have engaged with LMC projects. An interactive coming soon will allow them to send a digital postcard acknowledging an everyday hero in their lives.
The Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream (MCAAD), a cultural institution and part of the Milken Institute, is dedicated to illuminating pathways to opportunity for all individuals to pursue a life of meaning and fulfillment. Located in historic buildings in Washington, D.C., steps from the White House, the Center’s mission is to advance economic and social mobility for people in America and around the world through four pillars – Health, Education, Entrepreneurship, and Financial Empowerment. Admission to MCAAD and the ARTEFFECT gallery is free, and reserving tickets in advance is encouraged. School and community groups can coordinate a self-guided visit to ARTEFFECT with MCAAD Education at: https://www.mcaad.org/visit/group-visit
To learn more about ARTEFFECT, visit the website at www.arteffectlmc.org. Connect with ARTEFFECT on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube. Interested educators are welcome to join the ARTEFFECT art educators Facebook group.
About the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes
Established in 2007 by Lowell Milken, the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes (LMC) discovers, develops, and celebrates the stories of Unsung Heroes who have made a profound and positive impact on history, yet are largely unrecognized by contemporary generations. LMC has reached over 3,000,000 students in all 50 states and countries around the world. To learn more about LMC, visit Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes.
About the Lowell Milken Family Foundation
The Lowell Milken Family Foundation (LMFF) strengthens communities by unleashing human potential—investing in people and ideas across education, innovation, arts & culture, and social capital. We design, pilot, and scale initiatives that elevate educator excellence and student learning; develop principled leaders and entrepreneurs; preserve, advance and share cultural heritage; and foster civic values—so people of all ages gain the skills, knowledge, and meaningful experiences to lead productive, satisfying lives.
To learn more about LMFF, visit LowellMilken.com.
ARTEFFECT Exhibition at MCAAD – Projects on View 1/12/2026
ABBIE AHN (Grade 8)
ISSAQUAH, WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES
Through the Eyes of a Silent Hero, 2022
Digital art
12 x 16 inches
Teacher: Jihoon Lee
School: Cougar Mountain Middle School, Issaquah, WA, U.S.
Unsung Hero: Will Counts
NAOMI ALCANTARA (Grade 8)
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES
A Terezin Diary, 2021
Tagboard, paper, cardboard, pen, ink, black tea
8 x 6 inches
Teacher: Cheryl Lunger
School: LaVilla School of the Arts, Jacksonville, FL, U.S.
Unsung Hero: Pavel Weiner
MOHEB ASIMI (Grade 12)
SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, UNITED STATES
Completing the Square, 2024
Pen, marker, watercolor on paper
12 x 12 inches
Teacher: Rosemary Dodson
School: Savannah Arts Academy, Savannah, GA, U.S.
Unsung Hero: Muhammad ibn Musa Al-Khwarizmi
PIPER BANGS (Grade 12)
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, UNITED STATES
Portrait of Sofya Kovalevskaya in the Grand Manner, 2020
Oil on canvas
40 x 30 inches
Teacher: Jessica Gonzales
School: North East School of the Arts at LEE High School, San Antonio, TX, U.S.
Unsung Hero: Sofya Kovalevskaya
MAKENA BRYAN (Grade 8)
MARIETTA, GEORGIA, UNITED STATES
The First, 2020
Textile quilt
33 x 57 inches
Teacher: Carole Bronzino
School: Dickerson Middle School, Marietta, GA, U.S.
Unsung Hero: Anna Smith Strong
SOPHIA CABALFIN (Grade 12)
SAN DIMAS, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
Blossoming of New Life, 2024
Watercolor on paper
15 x 12 inches
Teacher: E. Dominic Black
School: San Dimas High School, San Dimas, CA, U.S.
Unsung Hero: Aiko Herzig-Yoshinaga
RAELYNN CUI (Grade 11)
HOPEWELL, NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES
Man Behind the Camera, 2022
Oil, charcoal, paper on canvas
20 x 16 inches
Teacher: Lora Marie Durr
School: Hopewell Valley Central High School, Hopewell, NJ, U.S.
Unsung Hero: Lewis Hine
JEWEL FENG (Grade 11)
JERICHO, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
Sir Nicholas Winton: The Man with 6,000 Descendants, 2024
Watercolor on paper
30 x 22 inches
Teacher: Konstantinos Kovoros
School: Jericho High School, Jericho, NY, U.S.
Unsung Hero: Sir Nicholas Winton
CELINE FONG (Grade 11)
RYE, NY, UNITED STATES
A Beacon of Hope, 2023
Oil on canvas
20 x 16 inches
Teacher: Dan Park
School: Rye Country Day School, Greenwich, CT, U.S.
Unsung Hero: Abdol Hossein Sardari
SERAPHINA GILLMAN (Grade 11)
HOPEWELL, NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES
And I Was Still Determined – Sheyann Webb, 2020
Acrylic on canvas
24 x 18 inches
Teacher: Lora Marie Durr
School: Hopewell Valley Central High School, Hopewell, NJ, U.S.
Unsung Hero: Sheyann Webb
AMELIA GHANNAM (Grade 11)
HOPEWELL, NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES
Hiawatha, Uniter of the Iroquois, 2023
Chalk pastel on paper
11 x 18 inches
Teacher: Lora Marie Durr
School: Hopewell Valley Central High School, Hopewell, NJ, U.S.
Unsung Hero: Hiawatha
BENJAMIN GU (Grade 6)
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
Finding links from tracks, 2024
Watercolor, pen on paper
21.5 x 15.5 inches
Teacher: Mona Jin
School: Kerrisdale Elementary School, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Unsung Hero: Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin
RACHEL HAN (Grade 11)
BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES
Visions of Light, 2024
Pastel, charcoal on paper
12 x 16 inches
Teacher: Jennifer Bitter
School: Newport High School, Bellevue, WA, U.S.
Unsung Hero: Karl Ernst von Baer
VANESSA HOYT (Grade 11)
SAN DIMAS, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
Martin A. Couney's Show, 2024
Acrylic on paper
16 x 12 inches
Teacher: E. Dominic Black
School: San Dimas High School, San Dimas, CA, U.S.
Unsung Hero: Martin A. Couney
ANNE JUMPER (Grade 11)
PIEDMONT, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
The Beauty of Genius, 2022
Acrylic, acrylic gel on canvas
16 x 20 inches
Teacher: Gillian Bailey
School: Piedmont High School, Piedmont, CA, U.S.
Unsung Hero: Hedy Lamarr
CHLOE KIM (Grade 10)
REDMOND, WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES
Will You Swim?, 2022
Digital art
24 x 18 inches
Teacher: Jihoon Lee
School: The Overlake School, Redmond, WA, U.S.
Unsung Hero: Irena Sendler
DYNE KIM (Grade 10)
SEONGNAM-SI, GYEONGGI-DO, REPUBLIC OF KOREA
In the Arms of Hope, 2024
Graphite and gouache on paper
10.5 x 15 inches
Teacher: Independent Project
School: Seoul International School, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
Unsung Hero: Mother Matylda Getter
LAUREN KIM (Grade 11)
BRONX, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
Vivid Resilience, 2025
Acrylic, clay on wood panel
16 x 14 x 2 inches
Teacher: Dan Park
School: Horace Mann School, Bronx, NY, U.S.
Unsung Hero: Clara Luper
ALYSSA KNAPPER (Grade 11)
COWETA, OKLAHOMA, UNITED STATES
Jar of the Known Truth, 2024
Ceramic, plaster, tissue paper, coffee, watercolor, acrylic, and faux moss
10.5 x 9 x 8 inches
Teacher: Shelley Self
School: Coweta High School, Coweta, OK, U.S.
Unsung Hero: Irena Sendler
JENNET KOROGLU (Grade 8)
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES
THERE IS NO BREAD!, 2023
Digital art
18 x 11.5 inches
Teacher: Cheryl Lunger
School: LaVilla School of the Arts, Jacksonville, FL, U.S.
Unsung Hero: Gareth Jones
KELLY KULLMAN (Grade 12)
SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, UNITED STATES
"Squalus clarkae", 2024
Monoprint, ink on paper
11.5 x 8 inches
Teacher: Rosemary Dodson
School: Savannah Arts Academy, Savannah, GA, U.S.
Unsung Hero: Eugenie Clark
JIMIN LEE (Grade 11)
PORTLAND, OREGON, UNITED STATES
The Voice That Broke Them Free, 2024
Digital art
11.5 x 15 inches
Teacher: Hope Ferns
School: Lincoln High School, Portland, OR, U.S.
Unsung Hero: Kim Hak-Sun
YERIM LEE (Grade 11)
BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES
Explore the Unknown, 2022
Digital art
12 x 16 inches
Teacher: Jihoon Lee
School: Newport High School, Bellevue, WA, U.S.
Unsung Hero: Olaudah Equiano
GRACE LI (Grade 9)
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES
A Leader Beyond the Battlefield, 2025
Acrylic on canvas
18 x 24 inches
Teacher: Dan Su
School: Lakeside School, Seattle, WA, U.S.
Unsung Hero: Sarah Bradlee Fulton
CALLIE LONOWSKI (Grade 11)
BREA, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
Residing Within the Stars: Eugene Shoemaker, 2024
Colored pencil, watercolor and acrylic on paper
12 x 16.5 inches
Teacher: Independent Project
School: Brea Olinda High School, Brea, CA, U.S.
Unsung Hero: Gene Shoemaker
CHUHENG LOU (Grade 8)
JERICHO, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
School Trip to visit Dr. Helen Brooke Taussig's portrait in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2024
Oil, charcoal on hardboard
18 x 24 inches
Teacher: James Lawlor
School: Jericho Middle School, Jericho, NY, U.S.
Unsung Hero: Helen Brooke Taussig
KATELYN LOWE (Grade 11)
CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES
A Woman Ahead of Her Time, 2024
Colored pencil, graphite, marker on paper
11 x 14 inches
Teacher: Crystal Pennington
School: George Washington High School, Charleston, WV, U.S.
Unsung Hero: Jackie Ormes
XINYUE REN (Grade 11)
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
The Courage to Stand In Solidarity, 2025
Graphite, colored pencil, marker on paper
14 x 17 inches
Teacher: Guohua Chi
School: BASIS Independent Silicon Valley, San Jose, CA, U.S.
Unsung Hero: Ralph Lazo
CHARLES ROUNDS III (Grade 12)
JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, UNITED STATES
Saved By Science, 2020
Watercolor, graphite, collage paper, ink on paper
24 x 18 inches
Teacher: Renna Moore-Edwards & Elise Payne
School: Power Academic and Performing Arts Complex, Jackson, MS, U.S.
Unsung Hero: Eugene Lazowski
ROMAYSSAE SAIDI (Grade 7)
JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES
Irena's Jars of Hope, 2020
Acrylic, glass jars on canvas
16 x 20 inches
Teacher: Robert O’Donnell, Jr.
School: Christa McAuliffe School, Jersey City, NJ, U.S.
Unsung Hero: Irena Sendler
JORDYN SLEDGE (Grade 8)
JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, UNITED STATES
Heartstrings Unraveled, 2024
Acrylic, pastel, gold leaf, cardboard, string and wood-burning on wood panel
21.5 x 22.5 x 1 inches
Teacher: Renna Moore-Edwards
School: Ida B Wells Academic and Performing Arts Complex, Jackson, MS, US
Unsung Hero: Vivien Thomas
EMILY SMITH (Grade 12)
TOPEKA, KANSAS, UNITED STATES
The Heart of Warriors, 2015
Oil on board
16 x 12 inches
Teacher: Brad LeDuc
School: Washburn Rural High School, Topeka, KS, U.S.
Unsung Hero: Helen Brooke Taussig
ZOE SPIKERMAN (Grade 12)
WAIMEA, HAWAII, UNITED STATES
Separate Will Never Be Equal, 2021
Mixed media on paper
13 x 9 inches
Teacher: Heidi Buscher
School: Parker School, Waimea, HI, U.S.
Unsung Hero: Sylvia Mendez
NATALIA SULUKHIA (Grade 9)
TBILISI, LISIS TBA, GEORGIA
The Lawmaker, 2021
Watercolor, colored pencil on watercolor paper
16 x 12 inches
Teacher: Nino Mitsishvili
School: The Guivy Zaldastanishvili American Academy in Tbilisi, Tbilisi, Georgia
Unsung Hero: Emmeline Pankhurst
ELYN TAO (Grade 10)
CONCORD, MASSACHUSETTS, UNITED STATES
A Comet Through the Dark: The Silent Light of De Jongh, 2025
Oil on canvas
16 x 20 inches
Teacher: Dan Park
School: Concord Academy, Concord, MA, U.S.
Unsung Hero: Andrée De Jongh
GABRIELLE VAN ALLEN (Grade 12)
LAKEWOOD, COLORADO, UNITED STATES
The Boy Who Became A Man, 2018
Digital art, acrylic on canvas
16 x 20 inches
Teacher: Lorri Frisbee
School: Green Mountain High School, Lakewood, CO, U.S.
Unsung Hero: Pavel Weiner
SOPHIA WALLER (Grade 8)
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES
Reaching for the Stars, 2022
Acrylic, paper on canvas
24 x 20 inches
Teacher: Cheryl Lunger
School: LaVilla School of the Arts, Jacksonville, FL, U.S.
Unsung Hero: Henrietta Swan Leavitt
EVE WILSON (Grade 8)
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES
Muhammad Makes His Mark on Math, 2022
Mixed media assemblage
20 x 11.5 x 12 inches
Teacher: Cheryl Lunger
School: LaVilla School of the Arts, Jacksonville, FL, U.S.
Unsung Hero: Muhammad ibn Musa Al-Khwarizmi
HANNAH YEE (Grade 11)
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
Sword of Injustice, 2024
Graphite, colored pencil, mixed media on paper
14 x 17 inches
Teacher: Lynn Magnin
School: Esperanza High School, Anaheim, CA, U.S.
Unsung Hero: Corky Lee
CAILYN YOON (Grade 9)
SUWANEE, GEORGIA, UNITED STATES
Shadows of War, 2024
Graphite on paper
20 x 16 inches
Teacher: Jiwon Han
School: Lambert High School, Suwanee, GA, U.S.
Unsung Hero: Chester Nez
BREANNA ZABOROWSKI (Grade 12)
BRIGHTON, MICHIGAN, UNITED STATES
A Triple Threat, 2023
Watercolor, acrylic, ink, paper collage, pastel on paper
11 x 15 inches
Teacher: Joshua Etheridge
School: Hartland High School, Brighton, MI, U.S.
Unsung Hero: Florence Kelley
JENNY ZHU (Grade 10)
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
The Shooting Star, 2020
Oil on paper
11.25 x 8.5 inches
Teacher: David Barboza
School: Westview High School, San Diego, CA, U.S.
Unsung Hero: Gene Shoemaker
KEVIN ZHU (Grade 11)
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
Guy Gabaldon, 2025
Marker, colored pencil on paper
14 x 14 inches
Teacher: Fang Yun Hua
School: Lynbrook High School, San Jose, CA, U.S.
Unsung Hero: Guy Gabaldon
