Spending part of your summer in an art internship can transform how you understand creativity and professional practice. As a high school student, you move beyond classroom assignments and begin engaging with real artistic workflows, whether in a studio, gallery, museum, or design space. This shift allows you to see how ideas are developed, refined, and presented in professional settings.

Through hands-on involvement, you may assist with exhibitions, contribute to design projects, support curatorial research, or develop your own guided work under mentorship. These experiences help you build advanced technical skills while also learning how feedback, revision, and collaboration function in creative industries. The environment is often structured but immersive, giving you both responsibility and guidance.

Summer art internships also provide a glimpse into university-style art education. You begin to understand how critique sessions work, how portfolios are evaluated, and how theory connects to artistic production. This exposure can help clarify whether pursuing art at the undergraduate level aligns with your long-term goals.

Because these internships are typically short-term and in-person, they offer meaningful industry engagement without requiring a long or expensive commitment. For students considering further study in fine arts, design, or related fields, this format can serve as an accessible entry point into professional creative spaces.

What can you gain from a summer art internship?

You strengthen your portfolio through real-world projects and guided creative work. At the same time, you develop professional habits such as meeting deadlines, communicating ideas clearly, and incorporating critique constructively. Internships also connect you with artists, curators, designers, and peers who share similar interests. These relationships can provide mentorship, recommendation letters, and insight into academic and career pathways within the arts.

To help you explore strong opportunities, we’ve curated a list of 15 Summer Art Internships for High School Students. They’ve been selected for their hands-on learning, mentorship structure, and meaningful industry exposure.

For adjacent opportunities, you can explore media internships, design internships, and fashion internships. 

15 Summer Art Internships for High School Students

1. Museum of Arts and Design Teen Programs: Artslife

Location: MAD Museum, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: $16.50/hr stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 10 students only
Dates: 6 weeks in summer
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Rising sophomores and juniors enrolled in New York City public and charter high schools

Artslife, part of the teen programs at the Museum of Arts and Design, is one of the most hands-on summer art internships for high school students, blending art and design with leadership training and museum studies. After an initial orientation week, you collaborate with museum staff and local artists while exploring departments such as Curatorial, Education, Development, Communications, and Visitor Services.

You create artwork in the Artist Studios, produce a podcast series, develop and lead peer tours, and visit other cultural institutions across NYC. The program builds career awareness, public speaking skills, and hands-on understanding of how a museum operates both publicly and behind the scenes.

Why it stands out: A cross-department museum internship that blends studio practice, podcast production, and peer leadership within one structured summer experience.

2. Immerse Education’s Fine & Digital Art Summer School

Location: University College London, London
Cost/Stipend: Varies according to program; summer school scholarship available through our bursary programme
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; an average of 7 participants per class
Dates: 2 weeks during the summer
Application Deadline: Multiple summer cohorts with rolling admissions
Eligibility: High school students worldwide aged 15-18

The Fine & Digital Art Summer School by Immerse Education is designed for students who want structured exposure to both traditional studio practice and contemporary digital creation before pursuing higher education in the arts. You explore drawing, painting, sculpture, and mixed media alongside digital art tools and software, building technical skills and visual thinking through studio sessions, art history discussions, and computer-based projects.

Guided by professional artists, the program combines individual mentorship, portfolio development, and expert critique to help you refine your artistic voice. Through its Career Insights Pathway, you also engage in workshops and exhibition visits that introduce you to the professional landscape of fine and digital art, offering a clearer understanding of creative career pathways.

Why it stands out: A balanced program that integrates classical fine art training with digital practice and portfolio-focused mentorship.

3. Bloomberg Arts Internship (BAI)

Location: Baltimore, Boston, Detroit, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C
Cost/Stipend: This is a paid opportunity
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Dates: Typically late June to mid-August
Application Deadline: Exact dates may vary based on location
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors residing in participating cities (Baltimore, Boston, Detroit, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.); can be Los Angeles for the upcoming program

The Bloomberg Arts Internship (BAI) is a paid summer program for rising public high school seniors that places you at arts and cultural organizations across five major U.S. cities. During the internship, you work on projects at museums, gaining exposure to exhibitions, arts administration, marketing, event coordination, and, depending on your placement, media-related tasks.

Alongside your on-site role, you participate in structured work-readiness and college-preparation training designed to build professional skills and confidence. With mentorship from arts professionals and hands-on experience inside established institutions, BAI provides practical insight into how cultural organizations operate while helping you prepare for college and future careers.

Why it stands out: Paid placements at major cultural institutions combined with structured college and workforce preparation.

4. The Hearst High School Media Internship @PALEY

Location: The Paley Center, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: Stipend $17/hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: July 6th – August 6th
Application Deadline: March 30th
Eligibility: Rising 11-12 grade students; NY State Working Papers required, even for out-of-state students working in NYC; contact a Family Support Coordinator in NY District Leadership to start the process

The Hearst High School Media Internship at the Paley Center for Media is a five-week paid summer program for rising 11th and 12th-graders interested in media and entertainment. Built around three pillars, media literacy and digital learning, media career development, and mentorship, the internship helps you understand how media shapes culture and public opinion while strengthening college and career readiness.

You meet industry professionals, visit newsrooms, podcast studios, and television production environments, and learn how digital storytelling works across words, visuals, and sound. The experience culminates in producing an original podcast, allowing you to apply skills in research, interviewing, writing, public speaking, and audio production within a structured, mentor-supported setting.

Why it stands out: Direct exposure to media professionals and a podcast capstone that turns media literacy into a hands-on production experience.

5. Teen Gallery Guides @ the Getty Center

Location: Getty Center, Brentwood, CA
Cost/Stipend: Paid internship
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; small cohorts (not detailed)
Dates: June 13th – August 1st
Application Deadline: March 2nd
Eligibility: Sophomores and juniors currently enrolled in high school in Los Angeles County

The Teen Gallery Guides program at the Getty Center is a paid summer internship designed for high school students interested in art, education, and public engagement. During the program, you train in strategies for close-looking, artwork interpretation, and audience engagement, preparing you to lead interactive gallery experiences for visiting school groups.

You develop public speaking and facilitation skills while working closely with fellow teens and museum educators in a collaborative setting. You will also gain exposure to museum operations and connect with art professionals who support programming and outreach. Transportation to and from the Getty Center is provided, along with a stipend for participation.

Why it stands out: A paid teen-led gallery teaching experience that builds public speaking skills inside a major art institution.

6. Teen Gallery Guides @ the Getty Villa

Location: Getty Villa, Malibu, CA
Cost/Stipend: Paid internship
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; small cohorts (not detailed)
Dates: June 13th – August 1st
Application Deadline: March 2nd
Eligibility: Teens living in or attending high school in Boyle Heights

The Teen Gallery Guides program at the Getty Villa is a paid summer internship for teens living in or attending high school in Boyle Heights. The program centers on the Villa’s collection of ancient Greek and Roman art, where you study and analyze objects while learning research methods and historical context.

Over the summer, you develop audience engagement and gallery teaching strategies, preparing you to design and lead interactive experiences for visiting school groups. Working closely with fellow teens and museum educators, you strengthen public speaking, facilitation, and collaborative skills within a professional museum setting. Transportation to and from the Getty Villa is provided, along with a stipend.

Why it stands out: Focused training in teaching and interpreting ancient art within a specialized museum environment.

7. Metropolitan Museum of Art High School Internship

Location: Museum of Modern Art, NY
Cost/Stipend: $1,100 stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Unspecified, small cohort
Dates: July 7th – August 7th
Application Deadline: March 13th
Eligibility: Students in grade 10 or 11 who reside in and attend a high school or home school in either New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut

The High School Internship Program at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the most prestigious summer art internships for high school students, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how a major museum operates. Over the summer, you work within departments such as curatorial, education, design, imaging, and digital media, contributing to project-based assignments that support exhibitions and public programming. Through workshops, discussions, and mentorship from museum professionals, you learn how research, interpretation, and presentation come together in a museum setting.

The program also introduces you to career pathways in art administration and cultural institutions, helping you understand the range of roles required to run a large museum. The experience concludes with a presentation of your project outcomes to peers and staff.

Why it stands out: Direct, department-level exposure to museum operations within one of the world’s leading cultural institutions.

8. Bronx Museum of the Arts | Teen Summer Programs

Location: Bronx Museum, Bronx, NY
Cost/Stipend: Paid opportunity
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 12 students
Dates: 4 weeks during the NYC public school summer break
Application Deadline: TBA
Eligibility: New York City high school students between the ages of 14-19

The Teen Summer Program at the Bronx Museum of the Arts is a four-week summer experience that brings teens together to explore art, community, and the evolving role of museums in contemporary society. Through collaborative projects, discussions, and hands-on workshops, you experiment with different art-making techniques while reflecting on local culture and community issues across New York City.

The program emphasizes self-discovery, creative expression, and amplifying teen voices, guiding you toward the development of original artworks and media pieces. The experience culminates in a public exhibition that showcases your work, offering both studio practice and insight into how museums support youth-led creative production.

Why it stands out: A community-centered museum program that combines collaborative artmaking with a final public exhibition of teen-created work.

9. Holocaust Museum LA Summer Internship

Location: Holocaust Museum LA
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Unspecified
Dates: June 22nd – July 17th
Application Deadline: March 27th
Eligibility: Domestic US high school students 

The High School Summer Internship at Holocaust Museum LA is an immersive program for students interested in museum work, archives, education, or nonprofit leadership. Over the course of the internship, you build a strong foundation in Holocaust history through primary sources, survivor testimony, art, media, and group discussion while gaining firsthand insight into how museums preserve memory and educate the public.

You work closely with mentors and museum professionals, assist with archival and educational projects, engage with visitors, and collaborate as a cohort on a culminating group project that supports the museum’s mission. The program combines historical study with professional development, helping you strengthen critical thinking, public speaking, collaboration, and leadership skills within a meaningful educational setting.

Why it stands out: A mission-driven internship that blends Holocaust education, survivor engagement, and hands-on museum experience.

10. Internships at the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage

Location: Mainly in-person in Washington, D.C.
Cost/Stipend: $700/week stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not mentioned
Dates: 8 to 17 weeks, year-round
Application Deadline: Summer: March 1st. Applications for other seasons (Fall, Winter, and Spring) can be submitted at any time. However, completed applications must be submitted at least six weeks prior to the internship’s start date
Eligibility: High school students are eligible (Also open to non-U.S. citizens)

Internships at the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage offer year-round opportunities to document, research, and present cultural traditions from around the world while contributing to active Smithsonian initiatives. You may work in areas such as folklore, cultural anthropology, museum studies, arts administration, graphic and web design, videography, marketing, social media, or library science, with most roles based in Washington, D.C.

Under the guidance of Smithsonian professionals, you support real projects connected to the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, and the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives, among other outreach programs. Responsibilities may include archival research, audio or video production, exhibition design support, and digital content creation, giving you practical experience in cultural documentation and media production within a major national institution.

Why it stands out: Direct involvement in globally recognized cultural preservation projects within the Smithsonian ecosystem.

11. ArtXpress Internship Program

Location: Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI
Cost/Stipend: Paid internship
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: July 10th – August 1st (based on the previous year’s program)
Application Deadline: June 6th (based on the previous year’s program)
Eligibility: Milwaukee-area high school students in grades 11-12 between the ages of 16 and 18

The ArtXpress Internship Program at the Milwaukee Art Museum is a paid summer opportunity for Milwaukee teens to collaborate on a large-scale public mural that addresses a social issue affecting the city. Working alongside practicing local artists and a diverse cohort of peers, you draw inspiration from the Museum’s featured exhibitions and permanent collection to research, design, and produce an original mural.

In addition to studio work, you serve as a mentor and docent for elementary students from Milwaukee Public Schools, leading guided tours and facilitating art activities that connect younger students to the collection. The program culminates in the public unveiling of your completed mural, displayed on a Milwaukee County bus, at a Launch Celebration Day hosted at the Museum, combining community engagement, arts education, and real-world public art experience.

Why it stands out: A museum-based internship that merges public art creation, youth mentorship, and a citywide mural showcased on public transportation.

12. CITYarts PR and Marketing Internship

Location: CITYarts Inc. Office, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: None for high school students; interns aged 18 years or more will receive a stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Unspecified
Dates: Flexible
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students can apply (No explicit international student eligibility mentioned)

The CITYarts PR and Marketing Internship gives you hands-on experience supporting a youth-focused public art nonprofit through real-world communications and design work. You assist with managing social media platforms, updating the website, drafting outreach content, and creating print and digital promotional materials such as brochures, flyers, and graphics using tools like Illustrator and Photoshop.

You may also research potential collaborations, support community outreach, and help develop promotional videos, all while working closely with the Project Coordinator and arts professionals. Through this role, you build practical skills in branding, content strategy, digital marketing, and project coordination while gaining insight into how an arts nonprofit engages partners, donors, and youth communities.

Why it stands out: A creative marketing role within a mission-driven arts organization that blends design, outreach, and nonprofit communications experience.

13. ArtWorks Summer Internship

Location: Miami-Dade College Koubek Memorial Center, Miami, FL
Cost/Stipend: $14/hour stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Unspecified
Dates: 6 weeks in June – July
Application Deadline: Application opens March 15th
Eligibility: Current 9th-12th grade students; must be a Florida resident and at least 14 years old

The ArtWorks Summer Internship at Arts for Learning is a six-week paid program for high school students in grades 9–12 who want a structured experience in the arts. You choose a focus area, such as visual art, dance and theatre, music production, creative writing, animation, film, or architecture, and work alongside a professional artist to create original projects.

In addition to hands-on artistic production, you build workforce development skills, including collaboration, communication, and professional responsibility. Interns report to the MDC Koubek Center, where they receive mentorship from teaching artists and program staff while developing a finished body of work.

Why it stands out: A discipline-specific, artist-mentored internship that combines creative production with structured career skill development.

14. Art Institute of Chicago Teen Council

Location: The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Cost/Stipend: Paid internships
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not publicly disclosed
Dates: June – August
Application Deadline: Applications open in the spring through After School Matters
Eligibility: Chicago high school teens who will be at least 16 at the start of the internship

The Teen Council and internship opportunities at the Art Institute of Chicago allow you to engage directly with one of the country’s leading museums through collaborative projects and creative programming. As part of the program, you work with museum mentors, participate in workshops and discussions, and gain behind-the-scenes insight into how exhibitions are researched, designed, and presented.

You may help support festivals, gallery tours, and public workshops that serve local and international audiences, while learning how curators, educators, artists, and technical teams collaborate to bring art to life. All internships are paid, and the experience concludes with presentations or projects that showcase your contributions and ideas.

Why it stands out: Teen-focused leadership and programming roles inside a major museum with direct mentorship from art professionals.

15. Whitney Museum of American Art Youth Insights Program

Location: Whitney Museum of American Art, NY
Cost/Stipend: No cost; YI Leaders is a paid opportunity
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not publicly disclosed
Dates: Varies based on the program
Application Deadline: January 16th
Eligibility: New York City high school students in grades 9 through 12 (criteria vary by program)

YI Artists is a free semester-long after-school collaboration where you work with contemporary artists and museum staff to create original artwork for a final exhibition. YI Arts Careers is a free summer program focused on exploring arts professions and institutions across NYC, with opportunities to meet museum staff and industry professionals. YI Introductions is designed for English Language Learners, combining art discussions with original artmaking and writing in a supportive environment.

YI Leaders is a paid, museum education internship where you help organize public programs, lead tours, assist with family and community events, and serve as a teen ambassador. Summer programs provide free MetroCards and supplies, emphasizing access, professional networking, and hands-on creative practice.

Why it stands out: Multiple entry points, from artmaking to paid museum leadership, within one of New York’s leading contemporary art institutions.

From Creative Practice to Career Possibility

What starts as a creative interest can quickly become something more serious when you see how art functions in real professional spaces.

These summer art internships for high school students reveal that creative growth is not only about technique, but also about communication, collaboration, and direction.

By working with artists, curators, and creative teams, you begin to see how your strengths translate into actual roles, industries, and future study paths.

Don’t let that clarity fade, open our Career Exploration blogs now to discover where your creativity can take you next before this momentum slips away.