Byron Center — Seventh-grader Mia McDowell hopes to leave her mark on the world by creating artwork inspired by women who changed the world.
West Middle School art teacher Janine Campbell’s after-school class gave Mia the opportunity to enter the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes annual ARTEFFECT competition. Now, Mia is one of 115 finalists.
Campbell learned about the contest at the National Art Education Association Conference and said it seemed perfect for her after-school art students to try.
“I presented the opportunity to kids and some decided to enter knowing it was a very competitive field,” she said. “It was thrilling to see Mia’s work as one of the finalists among the amazing work entered and it will be neat to see how the overall competition ends in June.”
Submissions created by grades 6-12 students from around the world spotlight stories of LMC’s unsung heroes through a variety of mediums. Students were also required to write an impact statement explaining their creative process, the unsung hero’s contribution and plans for sharing their artwork with others.
Mia said she chose her unsung hero, Jane Kendeigh — the first U.S. Navy flight nurse to fly an evacuation mission to an active battlefield during World War II — because she showed determination in the face of discrimination.
“(Kendeigh) changed the way I see my goals by showing that there are going to be many obstacles and challenges, but I can overcome them,” Mia wrote in her artist statement. “She inspires me to look forward and be who I want to be ― an artist.”
The 2025 awardees will be announced on June 2 and Mia’s painting will be on display at the West Michigan Youth Art Exhibition at DeVos Place until June 15.
A Skilled Pro Artist in the Making
Earlier this year, Mia also won the middle school and state levels of the Michigan Art Education Association’s 2025 Youth Art Month Flag Contest, another new contest for Campbell and her students.
“For my flag design, I thought about Michigan and researched things about the state,” Mia said. “At home, I sketched my ideas on a piece of paper and then came to school to paint it with watercolors.”
Mia’s flag design represented her home state at their national conference in Louisville, Kentucky, in March.
“Mia consistently takes advantage of the opportunities presented that she is eligible to enter,” Campbell said. “It was exciting to have a student win at the state level the first time we entered, and I am so proud of all Mia has done in class and how she has grown in her skills and personal style this year.”
The majority of Mia’s artwork features mixed mediums, including watercolor, paint, paint pens and colored pencils. Cross-hatching, a signature style in her work, can be seen in almost all of her pieces, including the Michigan flag and her portrait of Jane Kendeigh.
“I really like creating contrast with colors and patterns in my art,” Mia said. “Sometimes I use colorful pens to add more strokes in hair or in the background.”
Campbell described Mia as a “skilled artist who has a strong personal vision and style that shines in her work.”
“In class, she is willing to try new techniques and merge them with her interests and styles to make dynamic and interesting compositions,” she added.
Mia said she’s loved art since she was very young, walking around with a piece of chalk in her hands and sketching “random things” from her head. She wants to take as many art classes as she can in high school.
She also plans to pursue a career with art as the focal point.
“My mom is a collage artist and photographer and my dad sketches,” she said. “One day, I’d like to have my own studio where I can make and teach art.”
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