Art internships for high school students are an excellent way to build your skills, gain professional experience, and earn some money. They are a perfect way to boost your college application and will impress the admissions team. High school art internships provide opportunities for teens to work with cultural organizations and build communication skills.
There is a wide range of art internships for high school students that you can apply for, including art summer high school internships. If you’re looking for professional development, to make extra funds, or increase your chances meeting art school requirements, read on.
Can High School Students Access Art Internships?
Yes, high school students can access art internships. They need to research available opportunities for students, check eligibility requirements and application deadlines, and complete the application. These internships are often pretty accessible and a wide variety of internship programs are on offer through nonprofit organizations.
Are There Art Summer High School Internships?
Yes, there are various art summer high school internships. You can ask your local museum professionals or art gallery employees. These programs exist to offer opportunities for students to build their skills, use their creativity, and explore careers in museums or other artistic avenues. They are also great extracurricular activities to put on your college application and can give you a competitive advantage in your application.
Why Are Internships Important for High School Students?
- Students learn real-life experience. Internships are important for high school students because it helps them get real-life experience with hands-on projects. They might shadow a professional artist, get professional museum training, or participate in event planning.
- They teach hard and soft skills. These internships will help high school students to develop and hone their hard and soft skills. They get to build leadership skills, critical thinking skills, and collaborative skills, all of which will help them in college and afterward.
- Students can build a professional network. It is never too early to build your professional network. High school students who participate in internship programs will work alongside many of their peers and a team of professional artists, helping them build a professional network and develop networking skills.
Top 10 High School Art Internships
Metropolitan Museum of Art High School Internships
- Location: New York
- Length: 40 hours (10 to 20 weeks)
- Time Commitment: Two to four hours per week
This internship is available to high school students two to three years away from graduating high school. It allows them to connect through artwork with museums and creative professionals. They do all this while building their professional skills, professional network, work experience, and earning money. Students must reside, go to high school, or be homeschooled in New York to apply for this program.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston | Teen Programs
- Location: Boston
- Length: 12 Months
- Time Commitment: Program-dependent
This internship is designed to help high school students develop leadership skills, learn about museum professions, assist museum visitors, explore their creativity, organize teen-focused events, and engage the museum’s global collections. Applications are considered on a rolling basis, which means you can apply at any time of the year.
General Smithsonian Internship Pool
- Location: Washington, DC
- Length: Varies
- Time Commitment: Varies
The Smithsonian Museum offers various internship opportunities to students aged 14 and above. These opportunities provide interns with the necessary hands-on experience needed for multiple educational and career paths. Some of the programs are paid. The length, time commitments, and academic prerequisites also vary.
Arts Connection Teen Programs | Visual Arts & Exhibitions
- Location: New York City, remote
- Length: 120 hours
- Time Commitment: Two to three days per week, three hours per day
This internship program is designed for students interested in visual arts, exhibitions, and youth development who want to gain hands-on experience. The program is open to high school and college students, college graduates, and early career professionals. Interns will earn a $900 stipend and have a flexible schedule.
Arts For Learning ArtWorks Internship Program
- Location: Florida
- Length: Six weeks
- Time Commitment: 150 hours in total, 25 hours per week
This internship program is designed for high school students in ninth to 12th grade to help develop their career skills while making creative works of art. The internship program is presently available in visual and performing arts but will have more options over time. Applicants must be 14 years or older and eligible to work in the US. No previous experience is required.
Getty Museum Teen Lab
- Location: Malibu
- Length: Eight weeks
- Time Commitment: Three days a week, five hours each day
The Getty Museum offers students multiple internship opportunities to develop their skills, explore their creativity, and connect with others. It is an opportunity for high school students in the Boyle Heights community to explore their skills in STEAM, that is, Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math at the Getty Villa. Applicants must be 16 years or older, and live in or attend high school in Boyle Heights to be eligible.
High School of Art and Design Saturday Career Workshop Application
- Location: Online
- Length: Three days
- Time Commitment: Three hours a day
This program is aimed at students interested in visual arts and who want to pursue a major in the field after graduation. The internship will cover editorial/advertising design, poster design, comics/ cartooning, graphic design, and photography. The training will be held via Zoom.
Brooklyn Interns for Arts & Culture
- Location: Brooklyn, online
- Length: One year
- Time Commitment: Once a week
This internship is a paid program for high school students in grades nine to 12. It is designed to help these students become the best versions of themselves while impacting the community. It runs in three sessions, that is, summer, fall, and spring. The program is currently held virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Asian Art Museum Art Speak Internship
- Location: San Francisco
- Length: 10 months
- Time Commitment: Six to eight hours a week
The Art Speak Internship is designed for public high school students in grades 10 to 12 who want to learn about Asian art and cultural traditions. Students will build leadership skills and learn from local artists and art organizations. The internship is available to outstanding students in Bay Area public high schools that are interested in arts, history, and Asian culture.
Work of Art | Inner-City Arts
- Location: Los Angeles
- Length: One to three years
- Time Commitment: Four to six hours once per week
This internship opportunity is for high school students in grades 10 and 11 who are interested in visual, media, or performing arts. This is a paid internship and students will participate in year-round activities that are put on by the Inner-City Arts organization. This is an organization that aims to help inner-city youth have a safe space to explore their creativity.
Art Classes for High School Students
Art classes are short-term classes that help students develop their skills in a specific field of art, including history, photography, or graphic design. They typically happen on weekends for a few hours and sometimes can award school curriculum credits. Below are a few arts programs for high school students.
- Saturday Art Classes by PAFA. This art class is a 10-week program designed to help students develop and hone their art skills. It is open to high school students from grades nine to 12. It holds for three hours and costs $400 for non-members and $360 for members.
- Pre-College Art Experience by Academy of Art University. This is a tuition-free art and design program designed to prepare students for college education. It runs all year round and allows students to earn money to save up for college. Students can choose the online or on-campus format, and for every class passed, students earn $1,000.
- Saturday Classes for High School Students by University of the Arts. This is another Saturday class to help high school students build their art skills. They will work with industry experts to explore their creativity and build excellent portfolios. It runs for eight weeks and can be done either in person or online.
- Visionary Studios: Saturday Art Workshop by NYU Steinhardt. This is a studio class program that addresses social issues and the role of art and artists in society. Students get the opportunity to choose a theme of their choice and are taught by graduate students. It is a nine-week program and doesn’t require a portfolio to apply.
- Digital Art and Product Designs for Small Business by SchoolhouseTeachers.com. This class is available for homeschooled high school students from grades seven to 12. It is designed to help them explore their creativity in digital art and product design. It includes 36 sessions with some downloadable lessons, videos, and activities.
Should You Do an Internship in High School?
Yes, you should do an internship in high school. They are an excellent way to boost your college acceptance chances while developing your technical skills and gaining relevant work experience. These are all qualities that can help you build a rewarding career, regardless of the field. They are also a good way to earn money and save for college, as many of them are paid.
Art Internships for High School Students FAQ
Yes, with the right training and portfolio, art students can get jobs at Google. They can work as graphic designers, visual designers, and photographers.
Art interns perform a variety of tasks, ranging from assisting with the design of video games to planning art events for the community. What you do as an art intern depends on the organization you’re working for and the internship program. As an art intern at a museum, for example, you may be tasked with compiling information about art and artists and gathering support materials for exhibitions.
Yes, an art student can join an IT company as a visual designer or graphic designer. They can also attend a training program in technology after graduating from art school to work in software development or another IT career.
Below are 10 popular career paths for artists.
- Freelance writer
- Freelance painter
- Photographer
- Graphic designer
- Animator
- Filmmaker
- Musician
- Art historian
- Curator
- Arts educator
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