Pranshu Sengupta, an 8th-grade Art World School student, was announced as a Featured Artist for the 2026 Youth Raptor Challenge by the Cascades Raptor Center. Featured Artists are selected by the center’s jury panel and receive additional recognition through on-site signage. Pranshu’s artwork was also displayed in the Featured Artwork section of the exhibit, which opened on May 13 and runs through Labor Day. The exhibition is expected to be viewed by more than 20,000 visitors throughout the summer.

This was the third year of the Cascades Raptor Center’s Youth Raptor Challenge. The community art project aims to inspire creativity, curiosity, and conservation while showcasing the beauty and importance of raptors. This year’s featured raptors were the Great Horned Owl and the Red-tailed Hawk. Pranshu chose to illustrate the Great Horned Owl for his entry and creatively designed his composition around the title of his artwork, “Horns on Horns.”

Pranshu completed his entry through one-on-one classes at Art World School, where he works individually with an instructor in a private classroom each week. He began by researching his subject and gathering reference images to accurately depict both the owl and its natural environment. After finalizing his composition with a detailed sketch, he completed the coloring of his artwork. His finished piece reflects both his creativity and careful attention to detail. The combination of natural tones and bold colors brings the Great Horned Owl to life while creating a vibrant and joyful composition.

Prior to completing this entry, Pranshu had been taking weekly one-on-one classes at Art World School for several years. During that time, he developed a strong foundation in drawing and coloring using various mediums before progressing to more advanced projects for his portfolio and art contests. Under the guidance of Art World School instructors, he has recently begun receiving recognition for his artwork in multiple competitions. He has also participated in Art World School’s annual art show at the Portland Art Museum, exhibiting artwork created in different mediums and exploring a variety of subjects and artistic styles. He continues to attend weekly art classes to further develop his skills and complete new projects.

We look forward to seeing more wonderful artworks from Pranshu in the future!