Many people know about famous heroes like Abraham Lincoln, Rosa Parks, and Mahatma Gandhi. But have you heard of Oscar Howe, James Braidwood, or Clara Luper? The Lowell Milken Center (LMC) calls them “Unsung Heroes” — people who made a difference in history but are not as widely known. To help students learn about them, the LMC gives a yearly award for art projects that bring their stories to light. On June 2, the LMC announced the winners for 2025!
Students in grades 6–12 earn the ArtEffect award for creating original works of visual art inspired by real-life unsung heroes. This year, the LMC announced 34 winners and more than $35,000 in prize money. The middle school Best-in-Show prize went to Lila Xue for her work, “Breaking the Chains by Brushstroke.” Her piece honors Unsung Hero Oscar Howe, a Native American artist who challenged and demanded the freedom to express his own unique style.
Howe was an artist from the Yanktonai Dakota tribe in South Dakota. In 1958, he was left out of a Native American art exhibition for not following traditional styles. He responded by writing a letter in which he argued that Native artists should be able to create any way they wanted. This message changed how people viewed work by Indigenous artists, and it paved the way for other artists to combine Native American and modern styles.
“I wanted to capture Howe’s fight for the change of and stereotypes,” said Lila. The 14-year-old’s artwork shows Howe holding a brush, surrounded by broken chains and bright swirling colors. Lila told News-O-Matic that “the chains were people’s words and their actions, since they never recognized him as a formal artist.”
Lila heard about the art contest at her school in Diamond Bar, California. She researched Oscar Howe and created a digital image in his style. For this piece, Lila said she “kind of imitated the way that he would draw.” She worked on the image for about a month before submitting it in time for the contest’s April 27 deadline.
“I was really surprised because I never thought I would actually win it,” admitted Lila. “I just participated because I want to share more about Oscar,” she explained. Lila was also inspired by the other winning pieces, calling all of the artworks “really, really great.”
Jina Zhao of Bellevue, Washington, won the ArtEffect Grand Prize for her painting of Unsung Hero James Braidwood. That Scottish firefighter created the world’s first city fire service. Jina’s fiery artwork, “Duty Among Blaze,” shows Braidwood battling the Great Fire of Edinburgh in 1824. Jina researched 1800s firefighting tools and scenery to bring the historic moment to life with accuracy.
Lauren Kim from the Bronx, New York, earned the 2025 LMC high school Best-in-Show prize for her painting “Vivid Resilience.” That artwork honors teacher and activist Clara Luper, who led a 1958 sit-in at a lunch counter in Oklahoma. Luper’s efforts helped end lunch counter at Katz Drug Stores in two states.
If you’re inspired to create your own art, Lila had some advice for you. “Don’t go for perfection,” she suggested. “Just go for your own style and try to love art,” Lila explained. “Try to love the process too.”
By Diana Richard
Updated June 11, 2025, 5:00 P.M. (ET)
