Art with Impact: Chuheng L. ’28 Honored at ARTEFFECT Competition
By MADISON ZHOU ’28
For anyone who appreciates art, amongst us in the hallways walks the next famous artist of our generation: Jericho’s own Chuheng L. ’28. Chuheng won first place and a $2,000 award in the 2024 Lowell Milken Center’s Unsung Heroes ARTEFFECT competition, Middle School Best in Show for her impressive artistic skills.
The LMC Unsung Heroes ARTEFFECT competition is an international competition for students from grades 6-12 to creatively interpret stories of people who made huge unrecognized contributions and impacts on history. For this competition, student artists were asked to creatively interpret the inspiring stories of these unsung heroes through original 2D, 3D, or digital artwork.
Chuheng submitted an original oil painting honoring Dr. Helen Brook Taussig, an American cardiologist who founded the field of pediatric cardiology. In her painting, Chuheng poetrays students studying a portrait of Dr. Helen Brooke Taussig while on a school field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Chuheng’s painting won best in show for its detailed and skilled painting, as well as its and interesting perspective.
Chuheng expressed that participating in such a noteworthy yet rigorous competition was both challenging and fun. Chuheng said that through it all “The most important part is staying true to yourself and showing your identity through your work.” According to Chuheng, her success can be attributed to her ability to learn how to manage the creative process on her own. Chuheng said, “I started with quick idea sketches, moved on to drafting, and then worked on refining the perspective. Most importantly, I learned a lot from studying professional artists and their masterpieces. Their work inspired me in ways I didn’t even realize at first.”
Chuheng said that selecting a topic and individual for focus in her artistic portrayal was the most challenging component of her artistic process. Ultimately, Chuheng selected Dr. Helen Brooke Taussig based on a thoughtful, multifaceted process revolving around selecting an individual relevant to current global events. “This process consumed a significant amount of my time, taking me several weeks of research and gathering background information,” said Chuheng. “Despite the challenges, I am satisfied with the topic I chose.”
While Chuheng’s art is inspired by an unsung hero, Chuheng and her art certainly do not go unnoticed.
