Get ready to imagine a day at school where toys come to life! For this year’s ESS Art Contest, we challenged K–12 students to create original artwork representing this playful and creative theme: “Imagine a day at school where toys come to life. What would your day look like?” Seven ESS judges scored each submission based on artistic and technical skill, originality, adherence to theme and requirements, unique approach, and title creativity. Five finalists were selected for each grade group based on the highest average scores from the judges. A percentage of the total score from the number of likes, comments, and shares from ESS’s social media (Facebook and Instagram), combined with the highest score from the ESS judges, determined the winner from each grade group. Each winning student across four grade groups (K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12) receives a $500 gift card, a custom ESS Moleskine sketchpad, plus $500 for their school. Without further ado, we’re pleased to announce the winners of the 2026 ESS Art Contest:
9-12 Grade Level Winner: Chloe Lee
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- Chloe Lee (17), Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy, MI: “A New Student from Magic Land”
6-8 Grade Level Winner: Annabelle Matson
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- Annabelle Mattson (13), Lower Dauphin Middle School, PA: “The Toys Slayed and Barbie Ate/Left No Crumbs”
3-5 Grade Level Winner: Danielle Wong
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- Danielle Wong (11), Walnut Elementary School, CA: “A Magical School Day with My Toy Friends”
K-2 Grade Level Winner: Ryan Maharjan
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- Ryan Maharjan (7), Cox Mill Elementary School, NC: “Crazy Day With Live Toys”
Congratulations to all winners of the 2026 ESS Art Contest!