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.






This drawing was inspired by people who kept going even when it was hard

Drawing is my greatest passion, and my dream is to one day connect this creative drive to my future career. This piece is about finding peace in overwhelming situations. The deep blue water represents heavy or isolating surroundings, while the bright, golden light radiating from the figure's chest symbolizes untouchable inner joy and resilience. It captures the exact moment of a weightless, happy buoyancy. Looking at this artwork makes me feel calm and relaxed.
I spend my time learning about birds and taking care of my pet cockatiel named "Popcorn". Birds are fun to play with, can do cool tricks and are pretty. This drawing has two parts that inspire me. One, the bird can fly which represents going after my dreams of becoming an artist. Birds feathers individually are fragile but beautiful and powerful as they give them the ability to soar. Two, the sunset represents that even when something ends, there is still hope.
I love animals, especially my lamb Daisy. Spending time with her has helped me notice how playful and full of personality lambs can be. Watching Daisy run, jump, and explore inspired me to imagine a story where she could jump right out of a book and into the real world. Creating this piece made me feel happy and proud. It reminds me of the joy I feel when I spend time with Daisy. I hope people who see my artwork feel the same sense of fun, imagination, and love for animals that inspired me.

This art piece was inspired by a weeping willow and represents loneliness. I created it late at night and had soo much fun bringing her to life. Now she hangs in my stairway and depending on the day, the characters expression seems to change. Sometimes she appears peaceful; others she seems much more sad.

This piece is inspired by my parents. The tree represents growth, strength, and the ability to adapt to stress. The dove symbolizes peace. This work represents how i look at the world, instead of being angry at little things, it allows me to change my ways and Look at the things for the better.ultimately showing that even if you struggle, you can pick it right back up. Showing how it represents my development in my skills, not just as an artist but as a person.

I'm Zuwena, and I really like old cartoons. I made this piece inspired by one of my favorites, Mysterious Mose, because it got into the public domain recently. Also I just wanted to depict how loving and being loved in return chases away all negative and mean things people might say about you.

My name is Emerson and I am 8 years old. I love to draw because I love seeing the final product of all the lines that you sketch. I was inspired by an anime character who overcame a difficult challenge and this was how he came out alive. It reminds me that I need to keep going through all obstacles even when tired or beat.


Hi my is Winter. I wanted to draw this because I really love wolves. I love all types of canines but the wolf is my favorite wild animal. I like how wolves have one leader of the group which is the Alpha. They are the protectors of the pack and help guide them to keep them safe. Painting this makes me feel like I want to paint some more. I love looking at this painting and staring into the wolves eyes. This painting is now hanging in my art room so it can be seen everyday.

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.

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.

Being with my family and going to the beach inspires me most. The ocean, sunshine, and time together make my imagination come alive. At the beach, I dream up magical creatures, big adventures, and beautiful worlds. My art shows how love, nature, and special family time can stir wonder and fill my mind with ideas to create.

I love nature and animals. I created this piece using water colors for the first time. I began to paint this to give to my mother for her birthday and the inspiration came from giving my mom something great that can not be bought. I decided to give her a peaceful day. The fox in the meadow makes me feel at peace sharing a warm loving experience to my beautiful mother.

My name is Joslyn I've always loved art and trying different art forms or drawing styles, I also really love indie horror games like Mucorales or Pumpkin panic. I wanted to give my piece a more eerie or melancholic vibe which is why I used darker colors for it. I was inspired by how unicorns were originally depicted in stuff like The last unicorn and how the unicorns look slimmer, and just look more majestic when their less bulky and horse-like. I'm very proud of my piece and i hope you like it.

In this piece, I showed what I include in a lot of my art. My differences, they are what make me unique, and what I love most about myself. In this drawing I am the rainbow dog, and everyone else are the cats. What inspires me to draw is myself. I'm also a proud LGBTQ+ member!

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.

Hi! My name is Cassandra, I enjoy drawing anime and manga style art. The inspiration for my piece is the emotions I feel when I reflect on my self. This piece to me, expresses deep reflection and contemplation. I feel calmly happy when I look at this, and I want others to feel that too. :D

I’m obsessed with nature. Our family spends half the year doing van life around the country. Mostly visiting beautiful mountains and oceans. This special painting which is 6’ tall was inspired by my hikes through the forests of California. I did a whole series of paintings called “Nature”. The green and blue represent the sky and the orange is for the sunlight. I take art classes 2x week from Ms Jennifer on Outschool and I’m super inspired by the abstract artists I’m learning about in her class

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.

It is called the sea dog. I think this piece of art will make you do anything you set your mind on, and I never gave up when making it. It makes me happy to always look at it, and it is my favorite piece of artwork. I hope that people who look at it will believe they can do it, too.


I am a lover of all things found in nature and feel truly inspired being in it. This artwork was inspired by the bison at my local national park, and how they often have large groups of birds following them. I would like to give a special thanks to Nikki Toews, for helping me become the artist I am today.

My name is Sophia, my art piece is a collage made with construction paper, scissors and glue. It is a picture of my cat Camella Belly sleeping on my bed, with a big Venus fly trap plant and the full moon in the window. Today is the full moon, and Camella Belly was taking a nap on my bed. She looked so cute! This picture makes me feel happy.

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.

I seriously don’t know why I made this, I was lying in bed and I had a sudden thought about drawing a snake, then I just built on that. Everything below the collarbone on the skeleton is based of a Google image, the rest is from my imagination, hence why the snakes look like gummy worms 🐛. Uhhhh I don’t know what to put…I spent around maybe 6-8 hours on it, during class periods, and I was really scared to color the snakes because it was my first time using shading and blending with color. Tysm!


I love the original and retro style animations. I wanted to create my favourite character in that style.

Ella is inspired by architecture, understated details, and God’s creations. Reviving Impressionism through the Abstract, she blends varied perspectives, inviting viewers into the canvas. Ella curates a relationship between her art and the beholder, carefully conscious of each piece’s lasting persuasion. This large-scale floral is inspired by the cottage gardens in the front yard of her family home. Gardening and painting swirl together, lifting the viewer’s thoughts to the Creator of it all.

Hi, my name is Jemma and I have been passionate art since a very young age. I feel specifically drawn to realism because it helps me express the exact emotions of a moment when I draw. I feel inspired by seeing famous places and imagining how much my art might grow, and how one day people might recognize my art and it could become great. Seeing places like NYC makes me think about how many other unknown artists out there dreaming of becoming known for their art.

The first thing I notice when I look at something is its color. I’ve been doing art for about a year. I mostly draw people but also enjoy drawing realistic things from a reference. I taught myself how to use Procreate by watching other artists online. I always listen to music when I draw. While I was drawing this, I was listening to “The Sound of Silence” by Simon and Garfunkel. The candle makes me feel satisfied at how the light and color blend together to create a realistic image.


Hello! I'm Nora, and I love to draw. I have been drawing since I could hold a crayon and hope to be an artist some day! I love digital art and like drawing people, realism, hands, eyes, or just simple characters!

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.

Hello my name is Sophie, and I created this art because I wanted to make something calming and not to crazy. I really enjoyed making this piece, it made me feel passionate and calm. In this piece, this bear came to the park to have a fun day on her bike. She is hoping you like this art. I hope you enjoyed looking at my piece!

Hello! I was inspired to create this piece because ever since I could remember I've always had a love for sunsets and sunrises they remind me of God's beautiful creation and how every morning and evening he paints the sky with vibrant colors, it fills my heart with joy knowing he creates his masterpieces just for you and me.

Before I started HIP HOP I was shy and not always willing to try new things. But now that I am doing HIP HOP, I am confident and more brave. Hip Hop makes you flow lets you know you can do it Hip Hop is a vibe you can't hide it's inside you Just give it a try! Try it,Try it, Try it -Come On! (written to the beat of "I Can Make Ya" by Fingazz)

★ This awesome sauce artwork I made is inspired by peaceful and happy moments in nature. I love how animals can live together in a calm, playful way, like sharing a quiet stream or relaxing in the sun. Nature inspires me because it feels gentle, colorful and full of small, joyful moments. It makes me feel safe and happy. :D No matter what I draw, it almost always connects back to nature through the colors, patterns and peaceful feelings I see :] ★

My name is Leah and I am a 17 year old artist. One of my biggest inspirations has always been my mom, she inspired me to draw and to start working as a graphic designer. Since my mom is an artist, I loved drawing from a young age, and I’m grateful to her for encouraging and helping me improve. My most treasured memories is when my mom read me Russian fairy-tales before bed, so I wanted to capture that moment in my drawing.

I enjoy creating art that tells a story through color, nature, and imagination. This piece was inspired by a dream of a magical world full of birds, where the rainbow seemed endless and the moon glowed like the sun. A great crane soaring peacefully through the sky made me think of freedom, hope, and beauty. It reminds me to believe in myself, think big, and imagine endless possibilities.

Hi I am Eric, I painted a story about a angry cat chasing a small golden mouse. The cat's anger is like the thunder and lightning, they strike toward the mouse. The mouse is scared but also brave, it doges the strikes and will reach to it's home. Inside the cave, there is a TNT prepared, if the cat follows, it will be trapped.

I was inspired by survival in the wild. In my painting, a girl and her cat are camping in the wilderness. There are many different trees and plants around them, and many shades of green that make the forest look full of life. In the middle of the picture, there is a warm campfire lighting up the girl. She is fishing by the river with her cat beside her. You can see their reflections in the water. Far away in the wilderness, there is a rainbow that you can faintly see in the sky.

Hello! My name is Jayson and I’m fascinated my tragedy and comedy masks and jesters (both of which were my inspiration). A jester, something thought of to be joyful, using a mask used to display a set emotion on a stage with no crowd. The mask being used to hide something that the circus does not want the audience to know. Being controlled by string, unable to do anything with his own will using the mask to hide it all. Sometimes our life’s are like that, we try to hide how we really feel.
I have been an ongoing Outschool student for 5 years and been improving my animations ever since. What inspired me to make this animation was my love for music, as that is what got me into animation in the first place. I am really proud of how this animation turned out, since it took a whole month to complete all on my own.


I love drawing animals, especially animals in the wild. I drew a lion cub who is curious and loves learning and exploring, just like me. When I was drawing, I tried to show its soft fur and curious face. It makes me feel happy to imagine it going on adventures and discovering new things. I hope people see how playful and brave the cub is.

My piece depicts a spring morning, with blossoming flowers and dancing butterflies. The bees daintily fly from flower to flower, foraging for pollen. I love the season of spring. because it's like a stage for renewal and hope. To start fresh as buds bloom. And nature has always been one of my biggest inspirations. It hurts me to see the earth being damaged. I hope we can come together and save it. "You are never too small to make a difference."- Greta Thunberg.

I am passionate about art and attended many art lessons on Outschool. All these wonderful art teachers helped me to become more confident and to enjoy creating more than ever! - Our family got the long awaited Golden Retriever Rosetta. I was so happy to draw her, am really proud of my drawing. Without all the Outschool lessons I wouldn't have been able to draw her like that! - Outstanding Miss Shannon from "Ready Set Fitness" told me about this Showcase as I had told her how much I enjoy art.

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.

My artwork is inspired by my grandpa and watching beautiful, colorful sunsets. I always wanted to get to know my grandpa, so in my artwork is me and him walking in a beautiful winter forest, as the sun sets. My grandpa always dressed nicely, and wore a nice old fashion hat. He loved nature and taught my mom how to throw river rocks that skid on lakes. My mom always tells me stories about him, and what he was like. It takes me to a different time and I am happy he was my grandpa.

Hi I'm Mariah! Ever since I was little I've always enjoyed arts and crafts. I grew to love drawing when I realized how pretty art can be. Black beauty is what inspired this drawing. My parents always affirm me and teach me to embrace my natural beauty. I hope others look at this drawing and find confidence and self worth in the skin they are in because Black Is Beautiful and all are too!

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!!

Hello, my name is Phoenix. I do not do art that often, but I do enjoy it. I did this in my preferred art style (the only one I do) which is a standard pencil and a fine point pen (also one of those super satisfying clicky eraser things). The thing that inspired me to draw this (besides the prize) was I was just thinking of what to draw, and I just started drawing, and bing-bada-boom, I had a picture.

I love bright colors and cool textures. I am always looking for fun ways to make my art pop! I was inspired by Pop Art and how one thing can look so different in a bunch of colors. I used bubble wrap as a stamp for the background. It looks like giant sprinkles. It was so satisfying to dip the bubbles in paint and press them down! This art work makes me feel happy and energized. All the neon colors remind me of a sunny summer day when I’m about to eat my favorite ice cream!

I am a lover of Japan and anime and love art. The characters are cool and I love their faces they make and how happy they look. I love using markers to make my drawings look real and make my art pictures for decorating my room so it can be like my own cool anime place!
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I enjoy exploring the outdoors, climbing trees, writing stories and drawing mystical pictures. I got my inspiration from a chapter in one of my stories I have written. Where the mother dragon leaves her babies in the protection of the tree of life. When she needs to go defend her territory. When I look at my picture I am proud of myself for bring my imagination to life and being able to hold it in my hands.

My name is Micah and I enjoy sketching and drawing animated characters in my free time. When I am not drawing I also enjoy playing baseball. This sketch represents some characters from Guardians of the Galaxy. This inspired my piece because the characters are not real and allow me to use my imagination. I enjoy drawing unusual characters that you wouldn't see in real life.

My name is Thaddeus, and I love insects! They're different than any other creature, and even though they're small, I figured out that they have certain abilities that mammals don't. I think it would be cool to be an insect for a day. If I were a dragonfly, I would fly around and kill all of the annoying mosquitoes.

While working on painting an ocean wave, I was inspired by the curl at the tip of the wave. It reminded me of a dragons snout, so I continued painting it until my wave became a complete dragon. Looking at this dragon makes me happy because of how much I love reading about dragons and fantasy.

My name is Kinley and I am 14 years old. I have always loved drawing but especially now because I have been taking out school classes with professor Sanya for the last year and I have improved SO much. I love her drawing classes and look forward to them every week. This piece made me feel really happy because it reminds me of the beauty of nature.
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.