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!




*or the equivalent amount in local currency depending on jurisdiction of residence
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These Outschool art teachers are experts in their fields and champions of creativity.




Entries are open to any learner in the U.S., UK, Canada, or Australia aged 6-18 with an active Outschool Membership or current class enrollment. Entrants in the U.S., U.K., and Australia are eligible for the Showcase Favorite Award. Deadline for entry is April 10, 2026, 11:59PM PT.
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Share an image or video of a piece of their artwork that fits the theme “Something That Inspires Me.”

Complete the short submission form, including a brief description of what inspired the piece, in your kid’s own words.

Stay tuned as we announce the finalists on or around 4/20. Then get excited for the 4/25 showcase and winners reveal!


Fill out this form to enter your kid in the Outschool Visual Art Showcase.
Submission Guidelines
No purchase necessary. Open to legal residents of Australia, Canada, the U.K., and the U.S., age 18+ (parents or legal guardians of learners ages 6–18) with an active Outschool membership, ESA, scholarship, or charter enrollment. Additional eligibility requirements apply. Ends 11:59 PM PT on 4/10/26. Void where prohibited. Subject to Official Rules.


Despite the fact I am usually doing dragon-themed things, the thing that inspires me most is the night sky, the deep colors, and the stunning Northern Lights in this photo. I may not win, however, this piece of art was incredibly fun to draw, as well as it being the first detailed background/scenic picture I've ever done! Thank for you for reading!

This mural is inspired by the last seven years I've spent worldschooling with my family across 50 countries. In biodiversity hotspots like Brazil, Costa Rica, and Thailand, I was surrounded by multitudes of vibrant birds and colorful flowers. Traveling filled me with awe, joy, and a deep sense of wonder, so I painted this huge 9' x 12' wall mural. I hope its size and scale invites people who walk by to pause, feel that same wonder, and cherish the beauty of our wonderful world.

I’m Devon and I’m 9 years old. This drawing is about how when we protect even the smallest life, we protect the world. This is a drawing of “Kim the Bee from the top limb of the tree” which is a character from a story my dad made up for my brother and I at bed time. Thank you for reading

My name is Irene. This drawing was inspired by a photo that was taken of me and my sister when we were little. In this drawing is me and my twin sister playing in the waves. In front are the trunks that we used that we had played with. I chose this drawing because I always admired the ocean’s beauty and calmness. The ocean, when I’m near it, makes me very small and tiny. Whenever I am around the ocean, I feel the waves coming to me and hear nothing but the soft crashing.


Hi, I'm Artemis, and I enjoy making art! I'm a bit of what some people would call a "weird kid", and I'm actually proud of that, because I'm "weird" because I make dragon puppets! I also animate and make short comics. The inspiration for this piece was the crunching that the leaves made when I walked, and the beauty of nature. I'm really proud of this piece, because it's the first time I've used this artstyle with still life. It's like the art is telling me to go on a walk in the forest!

So about myself, I always love musical pieces, playing instruments, and art. However, considering the fact that I don't even play the Guitar, I just thought that the instrument is a vibrant way of expressing my thought, and when I did this piece of art, I made sure to include a bit of colorful explosion. It gives me great joy when I finished my art .


I am inspired by so many things, everyday: Media—with my favourite mysteries and my sister’s desperately awkward romance anime. Work—with the vast number of stories I see in shifts at the library. Family—with my sister’s brilliant mind and own art pushing me to create. In this piece, I wanted to combine all my inspirations through the lens of a day at my desk, with scenes popping off paper scraps in a self portrait of artistic inspiration.

My name is Mercy and I'm 15 years old. Music has always greatly inspired me and I wanted to make a piece that represents that. I have a dream to visit California someday and make my own music, a dream that was in part inspired by one of my favorite bands, Incubus.

I have always wanted to be an artist, and animals and designs like the one in my piece have been a major inspiration for me. When I began drawing this piece, it was not meant to be a “big thing”, but as my mind wandered and my hand took over, I found myself carefully layering colors and brushstrokes that I had not ever known I could create. It transcended simply sitting and thinking of what to create, and I know more awaits me in a future where I am inspired to create more extraordinary pieces.

I was inspired by the book “Impossible Creatures” by Katherine Rundell. It is one of my favorite books. I think that this piece represents how a lot of people want to “fly” and I wanted to remind people that nothing is impossible. This work is one of my best ones given the amount of time I wanted to complete it in, and viewing it fills me with immense delight.

My grandparents live in Rome and I would like visit London and Rome. It’s a magical bridge that can take you to different places. The colors are bright and make me feel happy. My favorite parts are the Colosseum and the colors of the water. The person on the bridge is me.

Hi hi, I am creative, have above average smarts and like many forms of art. Including singing, water color painting, dancing, poetry and acting. One of my favorite form of art is drawing. I was inspired to draw Sarinitiy because she was a new challenge. I am very proud of her because she is very detailed and my best character yet. Sarinitiy is apart of small collection of original characters (OC), speaking of collections, I also collect rubber ducks, dolls & pepsi boxes which is random like me.


Hello, my name is Alex Lynn and I drew Modern Italian. I wanted to challenge myself with shading because I have been deliberately ignoring it for a long time. I knew I was taking a risk with shading but I wanted to improve. I used 2B, 4B, and 6B pencil grades to achieve the dark contrasts that make light shades pop out. I faced many problems such as having trouble with proportions for the pedestal. I hope you consider my art in the final vote and that you were inspired by my image.

Hi! I'm Sasha. I'm 11 years old. I've never done something like this before, so I'm really excited! This is cover art for a book I'm writing called Enemies and Elements. I designed the cover to look like the four elements - Fire, Earth, Water, Wind. In the middle, I subtly added a fifith element, Darkness. I really hope you like it, and my book should be coming out soon!


I have been creating art since I was a baby. From finger paint and sidewalk chalk to digital art and oil pastels, I love learning new mediums and developing my skills. My piece is inspired by the resilience of nature. In the face of disasters (natural or man-made), something will survive and create a new beauty. When I immigrated to Canada, I experienced loss. Pieces like this helped me find the beauty in change. A tree isn't beautiful because it is static, but rather because it is resilient.

This beautiful Scarlet Macaw is listening to the sound of nature and wondering if she should stay or fly away into the canopy of the Amazon. I am inspired by nature. I am 13 years old. Art brings me peace, so when I draw the nature around me, I feel we are one.


My name is Wolf and for the last few months I’ve been learning how to draw more realism art. When I was able to capture the style that I enjoyed, I transferred it digitally. This piece represents my growth as an artist. A long time ago, if you asked me to draw something realistic, I would have said no. Now I challenge myself and embrace new styles.

Hi, my name is Kinsey. I like watercolor because I can express myself. What inspired my painting was I wanted to do something tropical and with flowers. This painting makes me feel happy and like I am walking through a rainforest. Someday I would like to hike through a rainforest.

As someone who has played music on stage and in many rehearsals, this was inspired by the feeling of being swept up into the music. The way that it feels when you are truly connected to what you are playing and it's like you morph into it. It shows how powerful that can be, when you can express so many emotions through a song.

As a cancer survivor, I am always trying to make up for my own perceived loss of time during treatment. Often I work like a machine - balancing school, dance, kickline, acrobatics, work, art and time with my friends. Similarly, dance requires perfection. There is no gray. You either nail it or you don’t. This creates tremendous stress which I struggled with for many years. The juxtaposition of the dancer and the machinery represents how I am overwhelmed by my own expectations.

I’ve always loved art as long as I can remember, but the aspect I love most about it is how a person can imagine what it is. I hope that is what this piece represents to you. This was also a way for me to express different art styles that I admire. My portfolio is primarily all gaming related, and this is my first attempt at drawing...well...myself. I hope you enjoy it!

I really enjoy art and think it is very fun and intresting. I enjoyed painting this piece because it reflects a city at dusk. It makes me want to go outside and look at nature. It also gives me the feeling of riding in a car and looking out the window, seeing in the city.


Hi, I am Cindyll, and I am 15. For the last year, I have been studying and drawing faces. I found myself especially drawn to eyes. To me, the eye is an amazing creation of beauty and intricacy: the vibrant colors, the way the light reflects on the iris, and the way that they can express emotion that words can’t. I wanted to capture that in my art. In my piece, there is a window reflected in the eye. The eye is truly the window to the soul. You just have to take the time to look.

My piece was inspired when I went on a trip to Kenya Africa. The animals who roamed seemed so free, especially from taxes. The animals also seemed so majestic, like the slimness of the cheetah or the mane of the lion. So I wanted to show that freedom in an art work symbolizing the animals being free.

I live in Alaska I love animals, horses are my favorite animal. I have 2 pet parakeets, 2 pet cats, and 3 pet goats. I painted this piece in my watercolor class. I have never been very confident in drawing/painting people, this is one of the first paintings I have done of a person and I am very proud of how it turned out.

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.

My piece was inspired by Dr. Seuss "The Lorax" and by the plaque that the Apollo 11 astronauts left on the Moon, declaring that they had come in peace for all mankind. Both inspired the main idea of the piece: everyone and everything is dependent upon everyone and everything else, and together we can do almost anything. Apollo 11 also gave my piece it's theme: space! I feel like I did a good job, especially on the Moon, and that my piece conveys what it's meant to convey.

Hello! I'm Lucy and I love dinosaurs. I love Art, specifically paleoart, too. I wanted my art piece to look like you just took a picture of a dinosaur, who might be scared of a volcano. I want the piece to make you feel like you've been swept away by some mysterious force that took you to the Mesozoic era, and instead of thinking that everything is in chaos, all you can think is "Wow, the wonders of Earth".

I have always loved outer space, but for longest time I did not like dinosaurs. Two things changed my mind about dinosaurs this last year. 1 - I began playing a video game that taught me all about dinosaurs. 2 - My mom made up bedtime stories for my brothers and I featuring the characters in my drawing. When I look at this picture I feel like I have connected three things that are very special to me, my family, astronomy and my new appreciation for dinosaurs all in one piece of art.

This piece makes me feel happy and proud of myself. I have been working on improving my art, and this piece shows the hard work I have put into art. I was inspired to make this piece, because I love wildlife and wanted an animal that would show my hard work and perseverance to improve my art.

This piece was inspired by a dream I had where I was walking through a garden of mushrooms with eyes and the sky was clear blue, so I decided to make a piece of my dream from memory so I can remember that dream over and over again. It reminds me of the days where I always loved to play with plants and flowers in my back yard. That activity always made me happy.

I am a natural Artist. Art flows through my hands. My art is gold. I have a natural talent in painting since a young child. I also create digital art drawing from cartoons I enjoy, i.e. Sprinkles, Rainbow Friends, Smiling Critters, Minecraft and more. My favorite art form is Angelic Art. I paint in all mediums: acrylic, metallic acrylic, oil, fluid art, Impasto (Italian Art), Suminagashi (Japanese Art), tempera, sensorial art, watercolor, glow in the dark artwork, airbrush painting and beyond!

I’m a young artist who’s been drawing digitally for the past nine years. I’ve always had a sort of fascination with cities and the mystical appeal they have at night. The idea of so many different people of varying origins having so many different experiences all in one place always appealed to me. The serenity that a night cityscape offers is what inspired me to create this piece and I sought to capture the sort of contemplative, deeply soothed atmosphere that only a glowing city can provide.

I am a student who enjoys drawing and expressing my feelings through art. This artwork shows a child holding the Earth, which represents my hope for world peace. I was inspired by the idea that even small hands can protect our planet. Creating this piece makes me feel calm and hopeful, and it reminds me to care for others and the world we share.

This is what happened when I found a passion for Amigurumi! I started crocheting six months ago after my friends on Outschool introduced it to me! I just love making my stuffies and giving them to people! This craft has really made me happy and I love it.


I love giant pandas! My family and I visited the Panda Sanctuary in Chengdu, China last year. I loved watching them eating bamboos. My art teacher had an Umbrella Project for us to paint whatever we would like, so I painted pandas climbing and playing in bamboo forest because that is their favorite food and home!


"I am an 11 year old boy who loves to read, write, take care of my pets and have countless opportunities of fun. I drew this because it makes me feel happy, so calm, and so at home." These are Dylan's words. As his mama, I delight in witnessing his weekly commitment to private art classes on Outschool since February, 2024. He has grown so much in his art skills since the beginning of his Outschool art journey. He was inspired to draw this piece while taking a paleontology classon Outschool!


Drawing can capture every element, emotion, and feeling that cannot be expressed by words. This piece was inspired by space, which I find both mysterious and exciting. This painting gives me the excitement of exploring new worlds, and I like to think about what exists beyond Earth. It makes me ecstatic and hopeful, and the dreams that begin in our imagination can truly become our future. Do you ever wonder about what exists apart from what our very own eyes can see?

I love how I can express myself through art and how every artist has their own unique style. My favorite art styles are realistic and anime, and I also like inking and working with color. My piece was inspired by the feeling when you see something beautiful, and how it takes your breath away. I wanted it to look like the golden glow of the star was reflected in her face. The piece reminds me of the feeling of awe.

My English name is Murphy I play baseball and is a big fan of dodgers. Once I watched “Interstellar” I am interested in planets so I create this to show how small humans and civilizations are to the universe. this makes me feel joyful because I love to express my feeling to others this artwork gives me a feeling of awe.


I love making costumes and characters, and then drawing them into different outfits and places

Hi! My name is Oliver, and recently I've been super fixated on the game Undertale so I decided to draw my favorite character from it, Mettaton! This drawing was my first attempt at doing vibrant/shiny rendering and I am very proud at how I did. Undertale as a game is super comforting to me as the story is so compelling and easy to come back to. The fact my art has now reached the level of being able to portray one of my favorite characters *ever* makes my heart so happy. Thank you for reading 🖤
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.