When your kid makes a piece of art, they’re also building confidence, processing feelings, and creating connections. That’s what we’re celebrating with the Outschool Visual Arts Showcase—and your kid could win up to $1,000 USD* in prize value, a one-year Outschool Membership and a billboard in Times Square!






I made this piece because I feel it represents the balance between humanity and nature. My inspiration was a photo of a girl and a heron posed like this, though I decided to further detail it and add my own flair and deeper meaning. This drawing makes me feel very happy and at peace.

I’m a weaver and garment maker who pushes each project to teach me something new. I wove the striped, polka dot, and solid fabrics on an 8-shaft loom using the yarn shown, then constructed these boots from scratch on a last. This was my first time making boots. The project involved shaping with heat and stiffeners, setting grommets, securing heels, and adding leather trim. I love polka dots for both their look and structural challenge. This piece reflects my process: learning by doing.

My name is Eli and I am 13 years old. Since I was 4, I have always loved making art, but over the past year I have started to draw much more seriously. I was inspired to make this piece because I love the art of ONE PIECE. I feel very proud of this drawing because I think it is one of the best pieces of art I have made so far.

This is the original version of Godzilla. During his first appearance in 1954 he was black and white, so I decided that using his original colors would keep a faithful design to his debut appearance, and would also feel original for today's standards. Without his first appearance and that original idea of him the franchise of Godzilla would have never started in the first place, so choosing this design is meant to give respect to the first model that ever came out.

I work with a variety of artistic mediums to express different ideas and emotions. This particular piece was inspired by my empathetic nature and a question that has often crossed my mind: do angels ever feel overwhelmed or overworked, constantly being called upon when they are needed most?

What inspired me is the big tree outside my window. I look out at it on breezy nights and at dawn, and it makes me feel cozy. I love cats, so I added a big cat that the elf at the top of the tree (who is drinking the cup of tea and eating a leftover piece of chocolate cake) rides. I added fireflies because I love when there are nice warm nights and I can catch fireflies.

When You stand in an art museum you get Immersed in cultures, feelings, and different time periods. When l look at an art piece l get to feel something from the artist perspective. I think it’s amazing to see peoples dreams, get brought to life on a canvas. That’s my Favorite part of the art museum. I love drawing. The moment when my pencil touches the paper I have the freedom to create whatever I want and to truly express myself.

I'm a digital and traditional artist; digital for four years and traditional for eight. What inspired me to make this piece was how my mind works, how I imagine myself when I come up with a story or world idea and how I'm able to pick up a pen and make it come to life. It makes me feel at peace and at home.

My name is Evie. I’m homeschooled and I have been taking art class for 3 years with Ms. Z. I chose to draw penguins and title my piece Love In All Things, because God gave love to all creatures great and small. You can see that penguins love each other because they look after their chicks. It makes me feel good, because God loves penguins and so He must love us. It also reminds me of God’s beauty and grace.

I woke up one morning with a burst of energy and the urge to create something, and even without a plan, the image of a hot air balloon came to mind and felt right to follow. I wanted this piece to reflect a calm and peaceful feeling, so I focused on creating a sense of stillness through the overall mood. This artwork represents how no matter where life takes you, there will always be a place to pause, breathe, and simply exist, showing the importance of finding peace in the journey.

Hi, I'm Jackson and I love everything jets. The F-35A inspired me to draw this because it is my favorite jet and I think it's absolutely beautiful. When I saw the F-35A at an airshow. I was so excited that I almost started crying. I love the F-35A so much because it's just beautiful from all angles no matter what.

this art work makes me feel sad for the bird🐦⬛ on the left, let me explain. the bird on the left is using a jet pack, not its wings it is sad because now it has no perpous for its wings. while the bird on the right is using its wings soring freely and not a jet pack. the bird on left is using a jet pack because engineers went to far and now it can't fly without a jet pack the end.

My name is Lauren and I had a really fun time creating this illustration. I was inspired by one of my favorite artists: Zhang.bread_art and how they draw really detailed landscapes and traditional Chinese buildings. For this drawing I decided to draw a dragon from the traditional Chinese dragon dances flying above a city in China (no particular city). In addition, I purposely used bright colors to make the piece give off an energetic vibe as if the dragon had actually come to life.

My name is Maia, and I aspire to become a professional artist one day. What inspired this piece was my love and admiration of wolves and their loyalty and fierce protection of their pack, as well as their beauty and grace. This drawing makes me feel free and I feel fierce love of nature and animals alike when I look at it.

Hi, I'm Bay and ever since I was little, I've loved drawing my favorite characters and making up my own, giving them past and motivation. I've also always loved role-playing (and later, DND). I could take a break from the real world and go on an epic quest. Then I got Minecraft. The fact that you could create your own world and style of playing was so inspiring. So I took those three interests and challenged myself to draw my Minecraft character, and I was happily surprised by the result!!

I competitively figure skate. I am at the ice rink almost everyday for about 2 hours. People tend to underestimate figure skating, saying it's petty or materialistic. Or they're impressed, only seeing the stage and the dresses, not the work it took to get there. Hard work, perseverance, and effort all go into it. The friends, coaches, and supportive parents all play a role making even daily practice wonderful. There's always something about stepping out onto the ice that always feels magical.



This piece invites the viewer to imagine the beauty of coming home after a long day at sea. The warm colours of the sunset and the reflection on the water show the feeling of a job well done. I found it challenging to create the small details, especially the people and the boat. I loved painting this. I hope that when people look at this artwork, they feel at peace and that they are loved.

I’m an artist and percussionist. The leaf in the picture is a real leaf that exists. I got the leaf on a visit in Opelousas, LA to see a professional artist that has artwork in museums. Her name is Mare Martin and she is also a gardener. The leaf came from her garden and I painted a still life of it. I creatively added the background from my imagination. When I painted it, I was excited thinking about the colors and how to make it cool. I had fun with it.

I admire artists who experiment with color, especially Mary Blair, who uses colors that don't always match real life but make you feel a certain way. In this piece, I transform NYC’s busy gray streets into a dreamlike, storybook scene. My goal is to make an overwhelming place feel playful and magical. Inspired by Blair’s concept art, I highlight NYC’s diversity—a patchwork of cultures and people—using geometric shapes and bright colors to show a unified, vibrant rhythm.

My name is Aslan. I am 8 years old and I do an art class. This is one of my favorite projects from class and I wanted to put it in the contest. I used watercolor, oil pastels, and a picture of myself to create this piece. I feel happy when I look at this art and I hope you will, too!

I am an entrepreneur who enjoys developing marketing materials for businesses. I like to practice making logos, brochures, flyers, and business cards. This is my favorite logo I have created because it is simple but unique. It's an art piece that catches people's attention and makes them want to learn more about the business.

This was inspired by things I’ve loved since I was a child, like princesses, their large sweeping gowns, and my old music box with a small ballerina. I wanted this to feel nostalgic, magical, and warm. Her appearance is based off myself, her tiara is inspired by the old plastic toy crowns I used to dress up with, and her dress is a fusion of all the different classical dress styles I love.

Hello! I am Arianna and I love art, video games, cartoons, and books. Pokémon was a big inspiration for my art style because my friends almost always ask me to draw their favorite little critters from the franchise for their birthdays. One day I randomly had the idea to turn my cat into a Pokémon. Thus, Mossious the grass and rock type was born.

I am a multi media artist, sometimes I’m sewing, sometimes I’m drawing, and sometimes I’m sculpting. This is my most recent piece, she is a bengal tiger, her name being a reference to life of pi’s bengal tiger Richard Parker. She makes me feel peace, she is content with comfort but she still looks for things other people won’t see.

My name is Misha I am from Tampa Florida. I was inspired by my cat, Hunter, and my dad who is a musician. I am also a musician who is learning to play the piano and the guitar. The reason I picked a cat is because I love cats so much, and I picked a piano because I am learning the piano. I made a digital art using Procreate which I have learned thanks to Outschool and Ms. Uli. I used different gradients and some special brushes to create a lovable character Rock Star Kitty.

I think the biggest challenge I faced was that it was my first art class ever, and we had to squeeze a bunch of lessons in a couple weeks. The butterfly I drew inspired me because it makes you think about the beauty of nature and all the things that God created. They remind us to care for the little things, and be content with what you have. The butterfly is also pretty to look at. :D you wouldn’t mind voting, would you now >:)


Hi, my name is Charlotte! This is my drawing featuring my OCs named Cameron (bottom) and Hyun (top). They went through a lot together, but Cameron couldn't save Hyun from the things and people hurting him. Cameron now has to live with the possibility that one day he will slowly forget Hyun's face, then his voice, and then him altogether.






I am a intensive dancer, and perform in many different genres of dance. But a favorite of mine is ballet. Recently, I was invited to go en pointe and received my first pair of pointe shoes. I am inspired to work hard and improve in ballet and pointe!

This is a drawing of a dragon made of shimmering crystal mosaic pieces, the background is filled with crystal roses and raindrops. Rainbows often symbolize hope and new beginnings, while roses are used to symbolize love, all of which are things that inspire me. This piece took 5 hours and 57 minutes, and was created in Procreate.

This piece was for a class assignment shooting in black & white. I LOVE vibrant colors, so this project was challenging for me. I’m usually drawn to the smaller details in nature that often get overlooked. I had to take this photo at least 10-15 times to work out the best shot. I had to choose birdseye view vs eye-level. I also took pictures from several different positions. When I downloaded all the photos I took, this one just jumped out at me. I am SO proud of this shot!

I like to look at old houses and think about the people who have lived in them. It makes me sad to see old houses be demolished. It seems not many people care. I wish I could save all the old houses; thats why drew this old house in the yard it was meant to be in. I hope that you enjoy thinking about who lived in this house. for my drawing I used: acrylic paint, oil pastel, and colored pencil. It took me 4 weeks to complete-i made the house bent and uneven to make it look old but cozy.


Sometimes as humans, we forget the true meaning of life. Sometimes we can get addicted to our phones, our iPads, anything that is technology related and we can sometimes forget how beautiful nature really is. Sometimes when I’m stressed I take my dog out for a walk. When it’s nice out everything is so peaceful, you can forget everything that is bothering you in your life. Nature has inspired me to draw this picture because it brings me the most peace and happiness when I’m feeling overwhelmed.

I love sports and art. I usually draw and paint with water color but was inspired by my older brother to start painting in procreate. The rain storm makes me feel annoyed and stressed until I see the rainbow. First I’m sad because the rainbow is broken, but I notice the rainbow can still reform so then I am happy because it means the sun is coming up. I hope you will enjoy my work.

This painting is inspired by SZA’s SOS album cover, where she’s sitting alone at the edge of a diving board surrounded by the ocean. That image was based on a famous photo of Princess Diana sitting the same way on a yacht in 1997. I wanted to capture a similar feeling of isolation and not belonging, even as the world watches. The blue tones represent calm on the outside but sadness underneath.

Hi my name is Vivian! This is a Starry Night inspired painting that I made using palette knives. You might not be able to see in the picture, but the texture is spiked. This painting, and the original, make me feel calm. When painting this I felt a sense of awe for how difficult it would've been for Van Gogh to capture the beautiful scene.

Hello! My name is Adalynn! This piece is inspired by my love for animals. While drawing it, I initially struggled because my cat's ears were too tall and skinny. I had mistakenly drawn over the ears with colored pencil, which made it impossible to erase. I overcame this problem by using a sand eraser, which was the perfect tool for the job. It was a risk to attempt a realistic drawing, but I'm very happy with the result. Thank you so much for your time, and I hope you enjoy my artwork!
Being autistic, I know stress and anxiety. Social life, school, and more- the list goes on. However, there are always two things I know help me: gaming and art! Taking a moment away and gaming in peace helps me feel calm and relaxed. I put those strong feelings into this animation. I spent a lot of time on this piece! I focused on lines, shapes, color language, and value when drawing. My biggest hope for this piece is that you relate to and/or remember this piece before you go to bed tonight.

Watercolor is my favorite kind of art. I made this painting because I love my hometown, New York City. New York can feel loud and exciting, but it is also colorful and full of life. I wanted to paint a small scene that reminds me of that feeling. In the middle of my painting there is a lucky cat holding up both paws. Lucky cats are supposed to bring good luck. In my picture, the cat is wishing good luck to the city and the people who live here. I hope people who see my painting feel happy.

This piece inspires me to go hiking and climbing big boulders and mountains while observing wildlife. I am super energetic with lots of enthusiasm, and I like to do rolls while dodging all of the trees and playing tag with my younger brother as we go on our weekly hikes.

I am artist, a writer, a singer, and much more. I enjoy being outside and around animals, and the place you will find me is in my room, in my bed snuggling and reading with my cats, or at my desk writing and creating worlds, in art or writing. I enjoys singing, and can be found singing my favorite songs. My dreams inspired me to create this art piece. I used bright colors and symbols to represent my bright spirit, and put a hot air balloon to represent her soaring creativity.


My name is Isla and i have been drawing for three years. This piece of art was inspired by my trip to Galapagos where I saw lots and lots of sea lions. I even swam with them in the ocean!!!. I am really happy how it turned out. The thing I like most about the drawing is the eyes!!!!!

My name is Max. I live in a tiny village in Alaska at my families' sled dog kennel. I am homeschooled and I have been learning pencil drawing with Mrs. Shelby on Outschool. I have created this drawing of the three youngest puppies to show how much they mean to me. The dogs inspire me to try my best and get better at doing things with them. The dogs always have a positive attitude and approach new things with excitement.

I love painting and I created this piece by not trying too hard. I used various materials and a lot of paint! The physical painting is almost like 3D style. Its hanging up in my living room and its A4 size. Most people think I used some artists knives but I did not! Its sponges and brushes.

My piece is inspired by Mom. She has loved me through everything and she will continue to inspire me throughout my life. The sun, moon, and star represent how a mother’s love is big enough to fill a universe. The tree and roots represent her steadiness and commitment.


My name is Sylvie, I am a digital/traditional artist that is learning about realism and showing my art to the world. I wanted to make this piece because I think to sum up your life and passion, you could just stack all the activites in the world between two buns and take out the different ingredients (passions) to find the perfect sandwich to eat for the rest of your life. This art piece makes me feel like even if you feel like you don't have a passion, there will always be one out there to try.

These Outschool art teachers are experts in their fields and champions of creativity.




Whether your kid is just starting their creative journey or has a project ready to go, you’ll find classes that meet them where they are and bring out their best.
Learners ages 6 to 18 in the United States, United Kingdom, (England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland only), Australia and Canada (excluding Quebec) (see showcase rules for regional participation limits and award eligibility details) can enter if their family has an active Outschool Membership or enrollment. New to Outschool? Become a member today!
Not at all! The Visual Arts Showcase is open to every eligible learner, whether they’re new to creating art or already taking classes. They don’t need to be enrolled in an Outschool art class to participate. What matters most is their creativity, effort, and artistic voice.
Log in to your Outschool account and fill out the form above. Upload a high-resolution image or a 1-minute video of your learner’s artwork (vertical 9x16 preferred; max 150MB) and add the artwork’s title plus a note about why your learner chose it. If you have trouble uploading, check our troubleshooting tips or contact Outschool Support for help.
Make sure to enter using the parent email linked to your Outschool account. If a teacher invited you to the Showcase, add their profile link so we can thank them. Submitting for more than one learner? Fill out a new form for each.
Artwork should connect to the theme, ‘Something That Inspires Me,’ and must be original and created by the learner. If your learner uses any material they did not create themselves, it must be clearly changed into something new and original, not just copied or lightly edited. AI tools may not be used to create any part of the artwork. Learn more about our submission guidelines here.
Our team reviews your learner’s artwork to make sure it meets the showcase rules and submission guidelines. This could take up to a week. You’ll get an email once it’s in the Showcase. Keep an eye on this page for updates. Entries will appear here when ‘Showcase Favorite’ voting begins on or around March 13.
Submissions can’t be edited once they’ve been sent, so be sure to review your upload and entry form carefully before submitting. Each learner can have only one entry in the Showcase, and judges will review only one submission per participant.
Outschool’s teacher judges review entries for creativity and originality. Learners submit their work in one of two categories: Physical Art (e.g., drawing or painting) or Digital Art (e.g., animation or digital illustration). One finalist is chosen in each age group for each category. Showcase Favorite voting happens on the Showcase page and is open to those aged 18 or older. Public voting for Showcase Favorite is open only to individuals who are legal residents of jurisdictions where participation is lawful. Notwithstanding the foregoing, residents of Canada are not eligible to participate in the public voting portion of the Contest.
Finalists are featured in the live virtual event, and the Showcase Favorite winner is decided by public vote. Entries from Canada are eligible for judging and award selection in all categories except for public voting for the Showcase Favorite award.
The live virtual Showcase will be hosted by Outschool on April 25. It’s a free celebration of the finalists and their artwork, featuring judges and moments highlighting each artist’s creative process and inspiration. Families can join to view the artwork, hear directly from the artists, and celebrate their creativity together.
Two Grand Prize winners, one in each category, each receive a $500 USD Outschool Gift Card, a $500 USD Amazon Gift Card, a featured placement on a Times Square digital billboard, and a one-year Outschool Membership at the $70 USD monthly tier. Finalists receive a $250 USD Outschool Gift Card, and the Showcase Favorite winner receives a $250 USD Outschool Gift Card and a $250 USD Amazon Gift Card. Finalists are announced on April 20, and Grand Prize winners will be announced live at the Showcase event on April 25. Prizes are sent by email after the contest concludes. All prizes are stated in US dollars (USD) or the equivalent amount in local currency, depending on the jurisdiction of residence.