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!






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.

Hello, I’m Hayden! I love to read, play sports, write, draw dragons, etc. I’ve been doing art class with Ms. April Taylor for a year, and before that, I have been taking other Outschool art classes. If I’m being honest, the inspiration for my painting came from a watercolor class with Ms. April Taylor. It made me feel extremely happy because of the outcome, since water color isn’t my strong suit. I owe my teacher a huge, clap clap clap and thanks! Thank you so much for your time! -Hayden

My name is Emmi and I’m a self taught artist who likes drawing graphite portraits. As you can see, the girl in this portrait is lonely and surrounded by darkness and shadows. But what inspired me about this and because I made this is that she looks brave and her eyes are twinkling, symbolizing how she likes the darkness. As an introvert, sometimes I can feel this way. But it’s not a bad thing. This portrait, when I look at it, looks like how I am sometimes; the loneliness can make me be brave.

I am a girl who lives in an RV and travels around the U.S. with my family—two parents, two sisters and our two cats, Sage and Juniper. I have been drawing ever since I can remember and am usually drawing whenever I can. My piece was inspired by a photo of Juniper, taken after my sisters and I dressed her up. I feel very happy that she was such a good model, and think she looks very elegant and regal.

Hi! My name is Wesson, and I am just 8 years old! I love cats, and my cat Bowser is why I sketched this cartoon drawing of him with a mouse toy. He is a big fluff-ball, and it is fun to watch him play. I feel happy and loved by my cat, and I wanted to share him with you.
Hi, I’m Zayden! Digital art inspires me because it helps me connect with people in ways words can’t. I used existing video clips to create something new through my own editing and digital art. I like turning moments into feelings people can experience. Creating this helped me see what’s possible when I use my creativity. I made it myself without AI.

This piece symbolises the coming of spring as the snow melts, the sun comes out, and the flowers bloom. The feeling of the fresh cool breeze, and the sun on your face. It depicts a self-portrait holding my favorite flower. Even when the dark seems to last forever, the sun will come.

I am the one, the only; ARAN!!! (Ahem, sorry) As seasons have passed, I've become more entranced every year by the beauty of fall all around the world. I found that trees in their autumnal state are so naturally well captured in art, so that is what I did. To be specific, this is a portrayal of a path through the Green Mountains National Park. I've destroyed 3 brushes, missed some homework, and have a sore back, so as long as your life may go on happily ever after, I say this: VOTE FOR ME!!!!!!!

As a person who's always adored cats, the Bengal tiger is a feline I have always admired for it's majestic behavior and resplendent striped coat. My love for animals has awakened a passion inside that has driven me to create realistic animal portraits such as these. I hope this simple drawing can emphasize the beauty of the Bengal tiger.
My name is Remy and I love drawing and animals! This art piece was made because we were studying the Amazon and I picked an animal to draw. This inspired a series of time-lapse sketches. It makes me feel proud.

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.

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.

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 >:)

This piece is inspired by authenticity and friendship. During the time I made this piece, I met some really amazing and accepting people who I felt happy and safe around. They gave me the courage to be myself, which is something I really needed at the time. The characters featured in this piece are of my own design. They represent the kinship I found with my new friends, and the individuality that I learned to express for myself!
I crochet the tree leaves with yarn and used clay for the tree and painted it with colors that give a magical feeling. I used hot glue to attach things and make vines around the tree. I used gems and minerals also for the same reason and they come from the earth. Nature inspires me and trees support all life on planet Earth. I am inspired to take care of plants and make sure life is balanced. The art makes me feel happy because of the magical feeling.

This piece was inspired by my oc Valkyrie. She is kind of a neutral evil type of character who gets annoyed easily. I wanted to draw her angry as I have drawn her happy a lot so I wanted to try something new. I made this piece using watercolors and paint pens. Thank you for reading!

I am homeschooler who loves art and dogs. I started drawing with how to draw books, then added some Outschool art classes to refine my skills. I love drawing pictures of animals but my current focus is dogs. My favorite parts to focus on are the eyes and the snouts. If I can get the eyes right, it gives the portrait the complete personality and really brings life to the dogs on paper.


Hi! My name is Sami and I am 16 yrs old. I want to be a fashion designer when I'm older, so I decided to do a fashion inspired piece. From left to right the different era's are: Ancient Greece, Renaissance, Victorian, 1950's and Modern Day. Ancient Greece is an extra special era to me as I love Greek Mythology. My picture shows the ladies holding hands to represent the various era's of fashion history that designers still draw upon today.


When I see a beautiful night sky, it inspires my creativity. I love doing digital art and the stars twinkling in the sky feels magical to me.

I chose to depict a woman, a man, and a white buffalo in the Great Plains of North America as something that inspires me because, for Native Americans, buffalos are a creature of extreme significance to them. Especially in the Lakota tribe, white buffalos are regarded and revered as a symbol of hope, renewal, and prosperous futures. They serve as reminders to the respect and balance needed between humans and nature - at the white buffalo's side, the two humans stand in harmony with nature.

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.

I love to role play. So I'm very excited to get to enter in a drawing of one of my favorite characters. Gene Doe is one of my favorite original characters. He is 5'9, has dyed purple hair (though it is now literally unable to change due to a magical incident), and always has his guard up. This drawing portrays him in a moment of awareness and vulnerability. It's nice to see him get to be embarrassed.

I’m Addy! I do traditional and digital art, and I have been drawing since I was 10. With this piece I wanted to show warmth and color and evoke a feeling of hope. I also tried to challenge myself by coloring using a wide range of hues and shades as well as using semitones and hatching, some techniques which I don’t normally do. This piece makes me feel optimistic, and I proud of how it turned out!

I just moved to a new house and there is a horse across the street that has become my new best friend. He comes to the fence to greet me and I love to feed him carrots and he loves to see me everyday. He loves when I pet him and cuddle his nose and I actually love it too just as much as he does.

My name is Emilio and I love drawing because you can tell a story in your own way. I learned about the meteor shower which killed dinosaurs and that inspired me to draw Robo Dino. In this story the meteor shower causes fire and Robo Dino was the only dinosaur to survive. He lost parts of his body but found a robot body that he used to save himself. Now he is happy to start a new life in the city. This drawing makes me feel happy that the dinosaur survived and escaped the fire.

Hello! My name is Arberleah but most people call me Leah. I live in a small town and have been homeschooled my whole life, so I have always had lots of time to explore my passions. What I am most passionate about is my art. Recently I have been getting back into reading and exploring fictional worlds once again, and now images come to me so vividly as i read, I just have to get them out of my head and onto canvas. I hope my art can remind everyone to never stop looking for inspiration.

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 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.

I am a girl with six siblings (five are half). My stuffies have always been my imaginary friends with their own personalities. They could talk to me (not in real life). We even played school. This bunny was always happy. When I felt sad, I would talk to this bunny and feel better. When I saw this bunny on my desk, I decided to draw it. Looking at this drawing I feel proud and confident of my artwork.

Im Lacey, military child following her dad. Just pulled from the sunshine of Florida to the winter of the Midwest. My piece is inspired by the warm sun that my skin misses so deeply. It makes me feel that Gods masterpiece is worth sharing. We are created to create.

This piece is a drawing of an eye with only the iris colored to symbolize how if we look into ourselves, we all have our own “super powers.” This concept inspires me as a person because it helps remind ourselves to never give up and that we all have a purpose on living whether you know it or not.

I always wondered how a female demon would react to seeing a young child. From the many anime I have watched some react in disgust and some in curiosity. I love demonology and seeing how people depict different sins and or entities. This is my rendition of you as the young child looking up to a demon.

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!

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.

Hi! I'm Eleanor. This piece of art was inspired by my little sisters because they like to be adventurous and I feel like one can be the sunshine and one can be the water in the ocean. It makes me feel happy because I feel like the sun represents hope and love, and the water symbolizes freedom and movement like my little sisters. I hope it makes other people feel happy too because I feel like the art stands for friendship because there's two people hanging out together, and anything is possible.

I love to draw and paint, and dance and play music, and read. I have always enjoy watching a pencil glide across a page as an image forms, taking shape and gathering emotion. Little lines ,some bold some soft, create the art we see, turning a blank paper or canvas into something beautiful. It is a truly incredible thing, the way we, as humans, see the world around us. Perspective is intriguing.

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 am a 12 year middle school student. This piece gave me peaceful. It represents life's journey doesn't have to be challenge, it can be moving forward with ease, clam and purpose.

I'm Meleana. I've always liked drawing and creating digital art that feels a little different, something that invites you to look twice. The piece came to me in a dream, almost like a quiet moment I didn't want to forget. When I woke up I knew I had to bring it to life. I call it "Where the Dreams Are."

Something about me is that I like to play sports and I like math challenges. I drew this because it was sort of like the movie Inside Out with all the emotions people feel everyday. It makes me feel good because I worked hard on it and it is like a rainbow of emotions.

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 🖤

I'm Alex, I enjoy reading, writing, and art, which are all passions Outschool has helped me explore! My piece of art is based on a photo I took of Split Rock Lighthouse on a trip along Lake Superior. I wanted to make a picture out of a good memory, and I feel happy every time I see it!

I love painting, especially with watercolor. My family went on a trip to Japan, and I got to see the beautiful buildings and landscape of the place which inspired me, and I really liked Mount Fuji and the pagodas, both of which I decided to add to my picture. It feels peaceful to look at, since you feel like you are there with the lady in the pink flower kimono, watching her make ripples in the water.

Smile on the Inside is a piece of artwork that tells you no matter how sad things could be, you should smile because we’re always somehow smiling. I created Smile on the Inside because I love to draw, sketch more specifically, skeletons. I just learned how to draw a human so I decided to put the two together. I then realized the true meaning behind my piece of art. Stay positive no matter how bad things can get, smile through it and look on the bright side.

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.

I love anime. It is my favorite thing to draw and watch! My dogs inspired my piece because they are very cute and I love them very much. We just got a new puppy last week. I also like boba tea and ice cream so I added that. I had to keep drawing it and finally succeed.

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 name is Coralie and my family has a bird feeder. We like watching birds and so does our cat, so I asked them for their favourite birds and painted them. ( I didn't ask our cat).

I’m Harper. I love to read and art. My favorite colors are pink, green, and yellow. I love butterflies and they have never been in the sea before and I wanted to let her explore a new world. The sea creatures welcome her and are kind to her. It makes me feel happy and proud that she is brave enough to explore somewhere new.

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".


Stories are my main inspiration, I often find them leading to many of the drawings I create, either through abstract ideas presented by the story or by characters I like. In this piece I tried my best to combine these things, the laptop and the phone represent stories told through the digital world like video games, anime, and webcomics. While the books and manga show the stories that come in a physical form. Lastly the fan and meneki neko represent the influence Japanese media has on my art.

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.