15 Summer Art Camps for Teens

TL;DR

You’ll find 15 summer art camps for teens here, from half-day museum camps at Virginia MOCA starting at $110 to five-week pre-college programs at RISD. The biggest difference is intensity, since local studio camps welcome all levels while NYU and MICA ask for portfolio pieces and RISD runs like a first year of art school. Most camps serve ages 13 to 18, and many end with a student exhibition. Immerse Education’s Career Insights pathway in Architecture & Design runs for two weeks in London for students aged 15 to 18.

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If you fill sketchbooks between classes or lose whole weekends to a painting, summer art camps for teens let you push that work further than a school art room can. You get studio time with practicing artists, honest critiques, and access to equipment like kilns, printing presses, and glassblowing studios. Many camps also help you build portfolio pieces for art school applications.

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Summer art camps range from half-day museum workshops to five-week residential programs at top art schools. Depending on the camp, you might blow glass in Seattle, throw pots on a wheel in Virginia Beach, or show your work in an exhibition at SAIC in Chicago. Some even earn you college credit.

What are summer art camps for teens?

Summer art camps for teens are short programs, run by museums, community art centers, and art colleges, where you build skills in a medium like painting, ceramics, or animation through studio projects and critiques. They last anywhere from a few mornings to five weeks, and many end with an exhibition of your work.

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Camps differ in intensity and focus. Local camps like the Ann Arbor Art Center and ASU welcome all levels, while RISD and Carnegie Mellon simulate a first year of art school. Before you apply, check whether the camp is residential, whether it requires a portfolio, and whether it offers college credit or portfolio reviews. Costs range from $110 for a Virginia MOCA half-day camp to $12,865 for RISD’s residential program.

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To help you compare your options, we’ve put together a list of 15 summer art camps for teens!

15 Summer Art Camps for Teens

1. Virginia MOCA Summer Art Camps

Location: Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, Virginia Beach, VA
Cost: $110-$290 per camp for members | $125-$305 for nonmembers
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Weekly half-day camps from June 22nd to August 14th, 2026 (2027 dates not yet posted)
Application Deadline: Rolling registration until camps fill
Eligibility: Students aged 13-17 | International eligibility not specified

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Virginia MOCA runs more than a dozen half-day teen camps each summer, with morning and afternoon sessions you can combine into a full day. The 2026 lineup included still-life painting, drawing and printmaking, hand-drawn animation, metals and wearable art, crochet and fabric dyeing, and a two-week wheel-throwing camp. 

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Some camps use the museum itself, like Art for Social Change, which explores the history of protest art in the galleries. In Creative Goods Lab, you turn original artwork into products like prints, buttons, and tote bags while learning about branding and packaging. Each camp is led by a practicing artist, and many end with finished work you can add to your portfolio.

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Why it stands out: You can sample a new medium each week at a contemporary art museum for a modest fee.

2. Immerse Education's Architecture & Design Summer School

Location: London

Cost: Varies; 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 cohorts with rolling admissions

Eligibility: High school students around the world aged 15-18; open to international students

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With your interest in architecture, you probably have design ideas in your mind, and Immerse Education's Career Insights pathway in Architecture & Design can be a suitable place for you to learn the skills and techniques needed to turn that vision into a reality. The program will introduce you to some fundamental concepts in architecture, including but not limited to spatial design, structural engineering, and sustainability. 

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Apart from the theoretical part, this summer school will also engage you in hands-on design projects, studio sessions, and site visits. By having you participate in different activities, this program aims to enhance certain aspects of you, like creativity, technical skills, and visual thinking, that are highly valued in the world of architecture. Past London cohorts visited Plan A Consultants to learn how a Design Manager supports architects and designers.

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Why it stands out: In addition to preparing you for a college major in architecture, this program also gives you a chance to explore architectural research and design theory.

3. Ann Arbor Art Center Teen Art Camps

Location: Ann Arbor Art Center, Ann Arbor, MI
Cost: Listed at registration | Scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 7:1 camper-to-staff ratio or lower
Dates: Week-long summer camps, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. (2027 dates not yet posted)
Application Deadline: Rolling registration until camps fill
Eligibility: Students aged 13-17 | International eligibility not specified

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The Ann Arbor Art Center’s Teen Art Camps are full-day, week-long camps for both beginners and aspiring artists, each focused on one discipline. Practicing artists teach traditional methods alongside contemporary practices, helping you build both foundational and advanced skills. 

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Camps meet in the Main Gallery or other A2AC studio spaces, so you work surrounded by exhibited art. Each week ends with a private group showing in the Main Gallery and structured critiques that teach you how to talk about and respond to feedback. If you’re thinking about art as a career, you’ll leave with updated portfolio work.

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Why it stands out: You get small-group instruction, a gallery showing, and critique practice every single week.

4. Interlochen Arts Camp: Visual Arts

Location: Interlochen Center for the Arts, Interlochen, MI
Cost: Varies by program (three-week high school programs such as Fashion cost $7,550) | Financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: One- and three-week programs; three-week sessions run June 27th - July 17th and July 18th - August 8th, 2027
Application Deadline: January 15th, 2027 for three-week sessions
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9-12 | Open to international students

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Interlochen’s Visual Arts division offers summer programs in visual arts, drawing, painting, animation, fashion, comics and graphic narratives, and portfolio preparation. Programs range from three-week camps that end in exhibitions to one-week sessions with a tightly focused topic. 

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Faculty and guest artists with established careers lead your studio work. If you’re applying to art school soon, the Preparing a Portfolio for College Intensive is built around that goal. You’ll live on Interlochen’s campus with students from around the world who are studying music, theatre, dance, film, and writing.

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Why it stands out: You build your art practice inside one of the country’s best-known residential arts communities.

5. Arizona State University School of Art Summer Camps

Location: ASU School of Art, Tempe, AZ
Cost: $475 (four-day camps) | $575 (five-day camps) | Limited need-based scholarships (apply by May 1st)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Four- and five-day day camps throughout the summer, 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. (2027 dates not yet posted)
Application Deadline: Enrollment closes the Thursday before each camp, or once it fills
Eligibility: Students aged 13-18, including graduating seniors | International eligibility not specified

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ASU’s School of Art runs short day camps open to all experience levels, each centered on one studio practice. The 2026 camps covered comics and storyboards, stop-motion animation, portrait painting, figure drawing, clay, welding, woodworking, and graphic design through screenprinting. Art Under the Microscope takes place at ASU’s Natural History Collections, where specimens inspire your artwork. 

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Specialized instructors give you one-on-one feedback, and all materials are provided. There’s no overnight option, so you’ll need to arrange your own transport and lunch.

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Why it stands out: You can try university-level studio equipment, from welding rigs to woodshops, in just four or five days.

6. ICA San Diego Summer Art Camp

Location: ICA North, Encinitas, CA | ICA Central, Balboa Park, San Diego, CA
Cost: Listed at registration | Need-based scholarships and member discounts available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Week-long camps from June 15th to July 31st, 2026, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. (2027 dates not yet posted)
Application Deadline: 2026 registration opened December 5th (ICA North) and March 1st (ICA Central)
Eligibility: Students aged 14-17 (teen camps) | International eligibility not specified

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ICA San Diego’s Summer Art Camp offers week-long, project-based camps led by teaching artists at two locations. At ICA North, you can explore a six-acre property with gardens and the Sculpture Trail, while ICA Central camps include access to partner museums in Balboa Park. 

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Teen camps in 2026 combined media like mixed-media drawing and ceramics. If you’re preparing for college, the two-week Teen Summer Portfolio Intensive helps you build a portfolio, get personalized guidance, and meet with school recruiters. Every camp week ends with a student art exhibition.

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Why it stands out: You can pair studio work with a sculpture trail or museum visits, or go deeper with a two-week portfolio intensive.

7. Pratt Fine Arts Center: Teen Glassblowing

Location: Pratt Fine Arts Center, Seattle, WA
Cost: Varies by studio | Tuition assistance and the Pohlman-Knowles Teen Scholarship available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Weekly teen camps and classes from June 22nd to August 14th, 2026 (2027 dates not yet posted)
Application Deadline: Registration until classes fill
Eligibility: Teens aged 13-18 | International eligibility not specified

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Pratt Fine Arts Center’s Teen Glassblowing class introduces you to one of the most specialized studio arts you can try as a teen. You’ll learn to gather molten glass heated to about 2,300°F and shape it into a bubble using tools, breath, and movement. 

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The class runs in Pratt’s hot shop as part of its summer teen program, which also includes welding, blacksmithing, and jewelry. Teen sessions run in morning or afternoon blocks, and the summer program includes a Friday Art Showcase. If cost is a barrier, you can apply for tuition assistance or a dedicated teen scholarship.

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Why it stands out: You work with molten glass in a professional hot shop, an experience few teen art camps offer.

8. Ox-Bow School of Art & Artists’ Residency: Crafting the Future & Ox-Bow

Location: Ox-Bow School of Art & Artists’ Residency, Saugatuck, MI
Cost: Not specified; details available through Crafting the Future
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: July 5-11, 2026 (2027 dates not yet posted)
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: BIPOC students aged 15-18 | International eligibility not specified

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Ox-Bow partners with Crafting the Future to bring a group of BIPOC teens to its campus for a week of craft-based courses. You enroll in two courses from options in glass, art quilting, monoprinting, and blacksmithing with steel and soft metals. 

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In the glass course, you explore blown and cast forms, while the quilting course has you design and stitch a narrative quilt from scratch. Each course pairs studio techniques with discussions of artists like Bisa Butler, Mona Hatoum, and William Kentridge. In the metals course, you forge a functional object and write a short reflection on your design choices.

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Why it stands out: You learn two craft disciplines in specialized studios while exploring how materials carry personal and cultural stories.

9. NYU High School Summer Art Intensive: Studio Practice

Location: NYU Steinhardt, New York, NY
Cost: $4,800 tuition (2026), plus mandatory housing and meal plan | Scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 54 students in three cohorts
Dates: July 5th - August 1st, 2026 (2027 dates not yet posted)
Application Deadline: February 15th, 2026 (financial aid applicants and international students) | March 1st, 2026 (final)
Eligibility: Students aged 15-18 entering 10th, 11th, or 12th grade; a portfolio of 10-20 images is required | Open to international students, with proof of English proficiency and an F-1 visa

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NYU’s Studio Practice intensive is a four-week residential program for just 54 students, split into three small cohorts. You take core and elective studio classes in digital art, painting, and sculpture, and work with materials like textiles and laser cutting. 

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Every Thursday, lead faculty take you to galleries, museums, and artists’ studios across New York. Staffed open studios run in the evenings and on weekends, so you can keep working on your pieces outside class. The program ends with an exhibition in the Barney Building’s galleries, with an opening reception for family and friends.

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Why it stands out: You build a new body of portfolio work while seeing how working artists live and create in New York City.

10. Creatively Wild Teen Art Camp

Location: Creatively Wild Art Studio, DUMBO, Brooklyn, NY
Cost: Varies by booking | Discount codes for booking 5 or 10 days
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Year-round, with summer and fall dates; full day (9 a.m. - 4 p.m.) or half day
Application Deadline: Registration closes 12 hours before each camp day
Eligibility: Students aged 10-15 | International eligibility not specified

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Creatively Wild’s Teen Art Camp is a flexible day camp where you can book one day or twenty. Each day brings new themed projects in drawing, painting, mixed media, and 3D work, with morning and afternoon sessions. 

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You can choose a full day or just the morning or afternoon block. The single-date booking system makes it easy to fit art around other summer plans. It’s a good fit if you’re younger or newer to art and want to experiment before committing to a longer program.

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Why it stands out: You can drop in for single days of studio art in Brooklyn without committing to a full week.

11. School of the Art Institute of Chicago: Early College Program Summer Institute

Location: School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Cost: Varies by session | Merit scholarships for all students; need-based aid for US residents
Acceptance rate/cohort size: About 16 students per course (12-14 for equipment-heavy courses)
Dates: 2027 sessions run between June 14th and July 30th, in one-, two-, and four-week formats
Application Deadline: Registration is open; spots and scholarships are processed as space and funds allow
Eligibility: Students aged 15-18 who have completed sophomore year | Open to international students

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SAIC’s Early College Program Summer Institute is a credit-bearing, college-level program where you earn one college credit for each week you attend. Classes run Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with evening skill-building workshops twice a week and about two hours of studio work most nights. 

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Faculty of professional artists guide you through smaller assignments before a final project based on your own interests. You can expect to leave each session with two to three portfolio pieces. Each session ends with an exhibition and reception across two SAIC buildings, and campus housing is available downtown.

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Why it stands out: You earn transferable college credit at one of the country’s most influential art schools.

12. Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Pre-College

Location: Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI
Cost: $12,865 (residential) | $9,860 (commuter) | $60 application fee | Art supplies estimated at $800-$1,000
Acceptance rate/cohort size: About 550 students each summer
Dates: June 28th - July 30th, 2027 (check-in June 26th)
Application Deadline: Rolling; full balance due March 10th, 2027
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors | Open to international students

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RISD Pre-College is a five-week program that follows a college-level curriculum with day-long studio classes, critiques, and projects. You take four courses, live like a RISD undergrad, and work with RISD instructors and resources. 

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You’ll study alongside roughly 550 students from nearly every US state and 84 countries. The program builds to final exhibitions at the end of July. RISD has run Pre-College since 1971, and its alumni network now tops 12,000.

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Why it stands out: You get one of the most complete previews of art school life available to high schoolers.

13. Carnegie Mellon University Pre-College Art

A trio of students sitting on chairs next to a tree with notebooks in their laps

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Location: Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
Cost: Listed on CMU’s tuition page | Need-based financial aid and merit scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 26th - July 17th, 2027 (three weeks) | June 27th - August 7th, 2027 (six weeks)
Application Deadline: February 1st, 2027 (scholarships and international applicants) | March 1st, 2027 (basic)
Eligibility: Current high school sophomores or juniors who are 16 by June 26th, 2027 | Open to international students

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Carnegie Mellon’s Pre-College Art program mirrors the structure and intensity of its School of Art undergraduate experience. In the first three weeks, you take Drawing, Sculpture, Animation, and Concept Studio, and six-week students add Painting, Physical Computing, Printmaking, and a second Concept Studio. 

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Concept Studio focuses on the creative process itself, with readings, writing, and collaborative projects. Ungraded Friday workshops have covered topics like puppetry, kinetic sculpture, laser cutting, and building an artist website. You can also book a one-on-one portfolio review with CMU School of Art faculty. The program is non-credit.

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Why it stands out: You experience the real CMU art curriculum and practice a faculty portfolio review before applying to college.

14. CCA Summer Atelier

Location: California College of the Arts, San Francisco, CA
Cost: $1,350 for a five-day workshop, including lunch | Limited need-based scholarships
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 12-16 students per studio
Dates: One week in late June
Application Deadline: Registration opens January 28th and closes June 9th | May 1st (scholarships)
Eligibility: Students who have just completed 8th, 9th, or 10th grade | International eligibility not specified

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CCA’s Summer Atelier offers non-credit, week-long studio workshops taught by practicing artists and designers. Recent workshops included black-and-white photography, 2D animation, architecture and interior design, comics, graphic design, fashion and textiles, jewelry, painting, and sculpture. 

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Small studios of 12 to 16 students mean you get close attention from your instructor. The week ends with a student exhibition for family and friends. You can use the pieces you make in future art and design school applications.

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Why it stands out: You can test a new medium with a working artist in a single week before committing to a longer program.

15. MICA Pre-College Summer Intensive

Location: Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD
Cost: Listed after acceptance | Scholarships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Two- and four-week sessions (2027 dates not yet posted)
Application Deadline: 2027 deadlines not yet posted
Eligibility: Students aged 15-17; six pieces of art or design work required | Open to international students

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MICA’s Pre-College Summer Intensive combines studio classes, workshops, and artist talks while you earn college credit. Sample classes include 2D and 3D animation, ceramics, darkroom photography, game development, graphic design, illustration, product design, screen printing, and textiles and fashion. 

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You can attend for two weeks or four, taking one studio class per two-week session. Residential students live on campus with meals included, and commuters get lunch provided. MICA faculty lead every studio class, and tuition isn’t due until you’re accepted.

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Why it stands out: You earn college credit while choosing from a wide range of art and design disciplines at a leading art school.

Frequently asked questions: Summer Art Camps for Teens

What do you do at a summer art camp?

At a summer art camp, you spend most of your day making work in one medium, with demonstrations, critiques, and feedback from practicing artists. A Virginia MOCA camp might have you finish a still-life painting in a week, while ASU’s stop-motion camp has you animate your own short piece. Longer programs like SAIC add evening workshops and nightly studio time. Most camps end with an exhibition, so you also practice presenting your work.

Do you need a portfolio to attend a summer art camp?

It depends on the camp. Local camps like Virginia MOCA, ASU, and the Ann Arbor Art Center are open to all experience levels, so you just register. Selective pre-college programs ask for artwork: NYU requires 10 to 20 images, MICA asks for six pieces, and Carnegie Mellon recommends five to 10 images. If you’re building toward those programs, a shorter local camp is a good way to create pieces for your application.

Do summer art camps give college credit?

Some do, but many don’t. SAIC awards one college credit for each week you attend, and MICA’s Pre-College Summer Intensive also earns college credit. Carnegie Mellon and CCA are non-credit, though both help you create portfolio work for applications. Immerse Education’s Career Insights pathway in Creative Industries offers an optional accredited route from age 14, worth 8 UCAS points or 3 US college credits.

Are there affordable summer art camps for teens?

Yes, several camps cost a few hundred dollars or less. Virginia MOCA’s half-day camps start at $110 for members, and ASU’s four-day camps cost $475, with need-based scholarships available until May 1st. The Ann Arbor Art Center, ICA San Diego, and Pratt Fine Arts Center also offer scholarships or tuition assistance. Apply for aid early, since most programs have limited funds.

Can international students attend summer art camps?

Yes, many residential art programs welcome international students, though you’ll usually need to arrange visas and travel. NYU asks for proof of English proficiency and an F-1 visa, and Carnegie Mellon’s international deadline is February 1st. RISD draws students from 84 countries, and MICA and SAIC both welcome applicants from abroad. 

Can you study digital art or animation at a summer art camp?

Yes, many art camps now include digital media. ASU offers stop-motion animation, Virginia MOCA runs a hand-drawn animation camp, and Carnegie Mellon includes Animation and Physical Computing in its curriculum. MICA’s sample classes cover 2D and 3D animation and game development. If animation is your focus, compare these animation summer camps, or look into summer art internships to see how artists work professionally.

Sketch out your path to art school

A summer in a real studio can show you which medium you love most and whether art school is the right next step for you.

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When you compare summer art camps for teens, look closely at portfolio requirements, college credit, housing, and how much studio time each one offers.

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Deadlines like Carnegie Mellon’s February 1st scholarship date come up fast, so start gathering photos of your strongest pieces well before winter break.

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For guidance on building an art portfolio and applying to art and design schools, explore our University Preparation blogs for practical next steps.