If you’re a high school student drawn to visual arts, design, or creative fields, an art internship can give you a real taste of what working in the arts actually looks like. Instead of just practicing techniques in class, you get to apply your skills in real settings—whether that’s a studio, museum, gallery, or creative organization. It’s one of the best ways to see how your artistic interests translate into real-world careers.
What You’ll Learn Through an Art Internship
Art internships go beyond making art. You might work alongside professional artists, designers, curators, or educators, helping with exhibitions, supporting creative projects, or participating in critiques and workshops that push your work further. Many programs also focus on portfolio development, giving you tangible pieces that can strengthen your college applications and creative direction.
If you’re still figuring out which creative path fits you best, you may also want to explore our Horizon blog on creative writing summer camps for high school students.
13 Art Internships for High School Students
1. The Met High School Summer Internship Program
Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Stipend: $1,100
Dates: Summer session for current 10th and 11th graders
Application Deadline: Applications open in early February
Eligibility: High school students in grades 10 or 11 who reside in or attend school in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut; no prior art experience needed.
In this internship, you’ll work one-on-one and in small teams with professionals across different museum departments, such as curatorial, social media, education, design, and imaging. You’ll gain a real sense of museum operations and explore career paths in the art world by contributing to meaningful projects and attending regular meetings. The Met’s program is designed to help you develop both creative and professional skills, such as research, communication, and digital work. At the end of the internship, you’ll present a final project, giving you experience in producing and sharing your work in a museum context.
2. Youth Insights (YI) – Whitney Museum Teen Program
Location: Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY
Cost / Stipend: Free for all programs; YI Leaders is paid (hourly)
Dates: Varies by track — semester-long (Artists), summer (Arts Careers, Introductions), and year-round (Leaders)
Application Deadline: August 22 (for YI Artists and YI Leaders)
Eligibility: NYC high school students in grades 9–12 (specific tracks have additional criteria)
The Youth Insights program at the Whitney Museum offers several pathways for high school students to engage deeply with contemporary art. In the YI Artists track, you’ll work after school with practicing artists in a semester-long residency, learning artmaking techniques, critically discussing creative ideas, and collaborating on a final exhibition. The YI Arts Careers track, offered in the summer, provides an inside perspective on careers in museums and the art world. Participants will meet staff and arts professionals, visit various institutions, and investigate different career options. If you’re an English language learner, the YI Introductions program welcomes you to create art and writing while experiencing the Whitney’s collection, with all materials and transportation provided. As a YI Leader, you’ll build leadership experience through a paid internship, helping run teen events, lead tours, and work closely with artists and educators.
3. Teen Council – Art Institute of Chicago
Location: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Stipend: Paid (hourly rate)
Dates: September 13 – June 6 (year-long)
Application Deadline: June 30
Eligibility: High school students enrolled in Chicagoland schools
As a member of the Teen Council, you’ll team up with museum staff and other teen leaders to design programs, create resources, and reimagine how the museum connects with young audiences. You’ll spend most Saturdays in the museum (plus some virtual meetings), committing about 3–4 hours a week. Through this role, you can influence museum programming, contribute to youth-focused initiatives, and help make the art world more inclusive and relevant to teens. You’ll also build leadership, event-planning, and collaboration skills in a creative, real-world environment.
4. Summer Internship – Art Institute of Chicago
Location: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Stipend: Paid internship
Dates: June – August (summer)
Application Deadline: Opens in spring via After School Matters
Eligibility: Chicago-area high school students who will be at least 16 by the start of the internship
In this summer internship, you’ll work behind the scenes at the Art Institute, helping to run workshops, tour programs, and gallery events. You’ll collaborate with museum professionals, connect with artists, and contribute to community-facing programs. This role provides hands-on experience in museum operations, including curation, public engagement, and education. As an intern, you’ll enhance your project management abilities, expand your knowledge of the art world, and acquire hands-on experience in a cultural institution.
5. Bloomberg Arts Internship (BAI)
Location: Varies by city (e.g., New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C.)
Stipend: Paid internship; hourly rates vary by location
Dates: 7–8 week summer program
Application Deadline: Varies by region; typically in February or March
Eligibility: High school students (rising seniors in many partner cities)
The Bloomberg Arts Internship allows you to work at nonprofit arts and cultural organizations during the summer in your city. You’ll spend three days per week at a host institution, contributing to real-world arts projects, and two days per week in structured workshops focused on professional development, college readiness, and creative career pathways. You’ll also join field trips and cultural visits, meet working arts professionals, and gain insight into possible careers in the arts.
6. Creative Practice Internship – Brooklyn Museum
Location: Brooklyn Museum, New York, NY
Stipend: $16.50 per hour; metro cards provided for weekend work
Dates: September – June
Application Deadline: TBA
Eligibility: NYC high school students in grades 10–12
In this paid internship, you’ll assist teaching artists and museum educators in leading art classes and workshops for a broad range of audiences. You will engage in community-driven creative projects that connect social justice, fashion, design, and museum education. Your responsibilities involve preparing art studios, planning lessons, and overseeing classroom activities, all while developing your own artwork with guidance from museum staff. You’ll meet and collaborate with like-minded teens, artists, and museum professionals, strengthening your communication, collaboration, and time management skills. This experience lets you explore careers in arts education and museum practice, all while being paid and contributing to the Brooklyn Museum’s educational mission.
7. Museum of Arts and Design Teen Programs: Artslife
Location: Museum of Arts and Design, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: $16.50 per hour
Dates: TBA
Application Deadline: April 21
Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors
The Artslife Program at the Museum of Arts and Design is a six-week summer internship that blends art, design, and museum studies with leadership and community engagement. You’ll rotate through departments such as Curatorial, Education, Marketing, Development, and Visitor Services to understand how each team supports museum operations. The first week focuses on orientation and team-building, while the following weeks involve collaborative art projects, workshops, and site visits to New York’s cultural institutions. You’ll receive guidance from museum staff, designers, and other professionals as you develop practical skills in communication and curation.
8. Benjamin Lawless Internship
Location: Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
Stipend: $3,200
Dates: June – September
Application Deadline: March 15
Eligibility: U.S. rising high school seniors
This internship offers a unique chance to delve into the Smithsonian’s collections through storytelling and design. You will collaborate closely with museum professionals to understand audience engagement, exhibit design, and how to craft captivating stories about objects. Across the five-week program, you’ll be encouraged to think creatively: what fresh narratives can you develop around historical artifacts? Ultimately, you’ll showcase your experience in a format of your choosing, such as writing, multimedia, or more experimental methods.
9. Satellite Teen Internship
Location: Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI
Cost / Stipend: Free internship; includes free dinner and bus tickets or parking passes for accepted students
Dates: Thursdays, October 2 – December 11
Application Deadline: August 29
Eligibility: Teens aged 16–18, in grades 11 or 12, who are attending a Milwaukee-area high school. Legally authorized to work in the U.S., must pass a background check
This internship gathers Milwaukee-area high school students for a 10-week in-depth experience of the museum’s operations. Participants will work with museum staff and professional artists, explore behind the scenes, interpret artworks, and lead tours for younger students in the Critical Learning Center. Over the course of the program, you’ll build skills in facilitation, communication, and project design — and culminate with a collaborative final project and reception at the museum.
10. ArtXpress Summer Internship
Location: Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI
Stipend: Paid; includes lunch and bus tickets (or other transportation) for accepted interns.
Dates: July 8 – August 1
Application Deadline: June 6
Eligibility: Teens aged 16–18 (typically in grades 11–12) who attend a Milwaukee-area high school and are legally authorized to work
In this four-week summer internship, you’ll work with local practicing artists and peers to design a large-scale mural inspired by the museum’s collection, engaging with social issues as part of your creative process. You’ll also mentor younger students from Milwaukee Public Schools, leading them on museum tours and facilitating art-making sessions. Through guided workshops, research, and studio time, you’ll build technical and conceptual art skills while collaborating in a professional environment. At the end of the program, your group will unveil the mural in a public celebration, and the artwork will be displayed on a Milwaukee County Transit System bus, giving you real-world impact and visibility.
11. Brooklyn Interns for Arts & Culture (BIAC)
Location: Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), Brooklyn, NY
Stipend: Paid; interns earn a stipend across the three sessions
Dates: Three-part program — Summer (one week in August), Fall (October–December), Spring (February–June)
Application Deadline: June 3
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors from any of the five New York City boroughs (Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, The Bronx, Staten Island), with a minimum GPA of 2.0.
In the BIAC program, you’ll gain firsthand experience in arts administration and performance by working closely with BAM staff to understand how a major cultural institution operates. You’ll attend professional development workshops, college-prep sessions, and community-building meetings focused on wellness and life transitions. You’ll also collaborate with peers to explore creative interests across visual art, media, design, and performance, while balancing your academic goals. Throughout your year with BIAC, you can develop both your artistic voice and your readiness for college and career.
12. Design Hive
Location: Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, New York, NY
Stipend: $2,000 paid in two installments
Dates: December 2 – May 19
Application Deadline: September 26
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors based in the New York City area
In Design Hive, you’ll work as part of a youth-led team, digging into design objects and creative processes to develop original, collaborative projects. You’ll learn how designers move from brainstorming to finished work, with guidance from museum staff and professional designers. Over the school year, you’ll attend weekly sessions at the museum and off-site, building skills in research, ideation, and prototyping. The program pushes you to think deeply about themes such as sound or “home” (depending on the cohort) and to use design as a lens for storytelling and social reflection. By the end of the program, you’ll produce a design project that reflects both your personal perspective and your group’s collaborative effort.
13. Teen Creative Agency (TCA)
Location: Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), Chicago, IL
Stipend: $160 monthly stipend
Dates: Weekly; September – June
Application Deadline: Applications open in Spring
Eligibility: Teens aged 15–19 from the Chicago area (2-year commitment often required)
In this program, you’ll become a youth leader at one of Chicago’s major contemporary art institutions, meeting weekly to explore art, curate public events, and engage with pressing social issues. You’ll work alongside lead artists and museum staff to build your creative voice, develop projects, and help design experiences for other teens and the general public. You’ll also acquire practical experience in organizing and executing youth-focused events, such as performance showcases and zine festivals. By the end of your term, you’ll leave with a stronger sense of your role as a creator and community advocate, plus a portfolio of work that reflects your artistic and civic vision.
One more option – Horizon Academic Research Program
If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, and chemistry, consider applying to Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs! This is a selective virtual research program that lets you engage in advanced research and develop a research paper on a subject of your choosing. Horizon has worked with 1000+ high school students so far and offers 600+ research specializations for you to choose from. You can find the application link here!
Image source – The Metropolitan Museum of Art