A work by former Parker School student Zoe Spikerman is now on display at a new museum in Washington, D.C. — just down the block from the White House.
Her work is part of the permanent ARTEFFECT Gallery that includes visual artworks, short films and text panels honoring the inspiring stories of unsung heroes from history.
Her piece, “Separate Will Never Be Equal,” pays homage to American civil rights activist Sylvia Mendez, who was a key figure in desegregating California schools.
“What I was hoping for the work to convey now in this context and time, is that these people, their histories, the activists, people of color, people working to fight against injustice and violence — they're still here,” Spikerman said.
“Even though there's been so much effort to erase their presence, to take back the right for people to have accessible education and to have even a presence in this country.”
Spikerman's work uses acrylic, watercolor, marker, colored pencil, graphite, newspaper, and gouache on paper. The centerpiece is a portrait of Mendez with books and students of different ethnicities holding hands.
In Spikerman's impact statement, Sylvia’s portrait “emphasizes the importance and power of education.”
Spikerman, now 22, gives credit to her high school art teacher Heidi Buscher.
ARTEFFECT, founded by Lowell Milken in 2016, fosters a collection of original visual art dedicated to the unsung heroes of history. It offers visual arts competitions for young artists, online professional development for educators in K-12 schools and online and music exhibits of projects by middle and high school students.
The inaugural exhibit is called “Visualizing Impact,” and features the work of more than 40 artworks by young artists.
