27 Best Art Internships for High School Students – 2025
December 23, 2024
Internships are a fantastic way for high school students to gain professional experience, cultivate their skill set and immerse themselves in the world of their interest. Art internships for high school students serve as particularly rewarding opportunities that can have lasting impact throughout their college years and career. But since the arts is an inherently vast field, why not take the time to weigh out what you’re looking for? Is it a digital media arts internship? Concept art internship? Art conservation internship? Or an art history internship? No matter what it is, chances are there’s something for every young art lover to explore.
In the list below, you’ll find over 25 art internships for high school students across the country, from the Bay Area to New York City. Many are offered through museums you might have heard of, and others are uniquely presented by art centers, creative studios or search engines online. When considering art internships as a high school student, be sure to refer to the location, program dates, application deadline and stipend, if available. Most of the high school art internships listed below, if not all, include a stipend or reimbursement through travel fare or community service credit.
Check out some of the best art internships for high school students:
Best Art Internships for High School Students
1) The Met High School Internship Program
Location: The Met Fifth Avenue, New York, NY
Program Dates: January to June, for internships during the school year; June to August, for internships during the summer
Application Deadline: October, during the school year; March, during the summer; due to change by the year
Stipend: Participating students receive a stipend according to the New York State minimum wage.
When it comes to art internships for high school students, the Met offers a popular program for sophomores and juniors living in NYC, New Jersey and Connecticut.
2) Teen Programs by Museum of Fine Arts (MFA), Boston
Location: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
Program Dates: Yearlong
Application Deadline: Applications accepted on a rolling basis
Stipend: $15 per hour
For high school students looking for digital media art or STEAM internships, check out the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA), Boston. MFA has art internship programs that might be exactly what you’re after: STEAM Team, Curatorial Study Hall, and Teen Arts Council (TAC).
Best Art Internships for High School Students (Continued)
3) Opportunities for Teens at the Art Institute of Chicago
Location: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Program Dates: September to June for the Teen Council program; June to August for the Summer Internship
Application Deadline: Not specified
Stipend: All internships at the Art Institute of Chicago are paid, but the amount is not yet on the website.
The Art Institute of Chicago offers the Teen Council program and the Summer Internship. These art internships are open to Chicago high school students who are at least 16 years old.
4) Bloomberg Arts Internship program
Location: The Bloomberg Arts Internship program has five locations: Baltimore, MD | Boston, MA | New York City, NY | Philadelphia, PA | Washington, D.C.
Program Dates: The end of June to mid-August; there is also a year-long internship program available for Philadelphia residents, called the Bloomberg Arts Internship – School Year (BAISY).
Application Deadline: March, based on previous years
Stipend: The Bloomberg Arts Internship programs offer a stipend, but the amount is not yet on the website.
One of the more prevalent art internships for high school students, the Bloomberg Arts Internship program offers engaging opportunities for art history lovers to theater fans. You’re eligible to apply if you’re a rising high school senior living in Baltimore, Boston, New York City, Philadelphia or Washington, D.C.
Best Art Internships for High School Students (Continued)
5) Brooklyn Museum’s Creative Practice
Location: Brooklyn Museum, New York City, NY
Program Dates: September to May
Application Deadline: Students are encouraged to check back in June 2025 for more information on the 2025-2026 program year
Stipend: $16 per hour and the opportunity to work up to 120 hours for the year; MetroCards provided to support weekend work
Another great art museum internship is at the Brooklyn Museum. High school students residing in New York City are eligible to apply.
6) Youth Insights Leaders at the Whitney Museum of American Art
Location: Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY
Program Dates: Year-long internship program; summer and after school sessions available
Application Deadline: Applications for YI Artists are due by Friday, January 10, 2025 at 11:59 pm.
Stipend: The program offers participating students a single ride MetroCard each session
Apply to become a YI Artist if you’re a New York City high schooler who completed the Youth Insights Artists and Youth Insights Arts Careers programs.
7) Museum of Arts and Design Teen Programs
Location: Museum of Arts and Design (MAD), New York, NY
Program Dates: July 9, 2024–August 16, 2024 for Artslife; February 20–23, 2024 for RECESS I; April 23–26, 2024 for RECESS II
Application Deadline: April 7, 2024 (Artslife) | January 7, 2024 (RECESS)
Stipend: For Artslife, students will receive $16 per hour and an unlimited MetroCard for the entirety of the internship. For RECESS, students will receive an overall $200 stipend and weekly unlimited MetroCard.
MAD’s two programs, Artslife and RECESS, are unique arts and design internships for high school students.
Best Art Internships for High School Students (Continued)
8) Design Hive at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
Location: Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, New York, NY
Program Dates: November to May
Application Deadline: Not currently available
Stipend: Participating students will receive $2,000 paid in two $1,000 installments
Design Hive is an excellent arts design internship for high school students where you will work closely with professional designers about the life of a project.
9) Museum of Contemporary Art’s Teen Creative Agency
Location: Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, IL
Program Dates: September to June
Application Deadline: Applications open in April; the deadline is not yet posted on the website
Stipend: Participating students receive up to $1,600 a year
Eligibility: Students aged 15–19 in Chicago can apply.
This one is for contemporary art lovers. High school students interested in a contemporary arts internship will step into a cultural leadership program with Teen Creative Agency.
Best Art Internships for High School Students (Continued)
10) Smithsonian’s Benjamin Lawless Internship
Location: The Smithsonian, Washington. D.C.
Program Dates: June 2025 to August 2025, approximately 8 weeks; students plan their exact dates once speaking with their mentors
Application Deadline: Applications open in January and are due by March 15
Stipend: Participating students receive up to $3,200; $400 per week
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors can apply.
Rising high school seniors interested in finding arts conservation and curation internships should look into the Benjamin Lawless Internship. What better way to dive into the world of an art museum than learning how to tell stories through the Smithsonian’s collections.
11) The National Gallery of Art Teen Volunteer Program
Location: The National Gallery, Washington, D.C.
Program Dates: Fall, October to December; Spring, February to May
Application Deadline: Varies by year
Stipend: Unpaid
This program offered by the National Gallery is open to juniors and seniors curious about arts administration projects in a historical museum.
12) Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) Teen Arts Collective
Location: Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY
Program Dates: Varies by year
Application Deadline: Varies by year
Stipend: Unpaid
Best Art Internships for High School Students (Continued)
13) Walt Disney Animation Studios Internship Opportunities
Location: Walt Disney Animation Studios, Burbank, CA
Program Dates: Story Intern, General TD Intern, Visual Development Intern, 2D Cleanup Animation Intern
Application Deadline: For all internships, January 5, 2025
Stipend: For all internships, $22 per hour
14) The Teen Art Collection at the Hirshhorn Museum
Location: Hirshhorn Museum, Washington, D.C.
Program Dates: December to June, 20 meetings mandatory
Application Deadline: Not yet available on the website
Stipend: $1500 stipend at the completion of the internship
15) Walker Art Center Teen Arts Council
Location: Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN
Program Dates: September to June
Application Deadline: July 26th
Stipend: Not available
Best Art Internships for High School Students (Continued)
16) Milwaukee Art Museum Internships
Location: Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI
Program Dates: For Satellite Teens interns, 10 weeks; for ArtExpress interns, July to August
Application Deadline: January 31st, Satellite Teens; June 7th, ArtXpress
Stipend: For Satellite interns, paid internship program with free dinner and MCTS bus tickets to participating students; For ArtExpress, paid internship program with free lunch and MCTS bus tickets to participating students
17) ART + AI Inspirit AI PROJECT
Location: Online program
Program Dates: 10-session (2.5 hours each) bootcamp for a total of 25 hours
Application Deadline: For spring 2025, December 21, 2024; for summer 2025, January 31, 2025
Stipend: No stipend currently available, although they do offer financial aid options to students
Best Art Internships for High School Students (Continued)
18) Google Doodle Contest
Location: Online
Program Dates: Google will announce the National Winner in June
Application Deadline: March 21, 2024
Stipend: National winner wins a $55,000 college scholarship and more; national finalists win a $5,000 college scholarship and more
19) Arts for Learning ArtWorks Summer Internship
Location: MDC Koubek Center, Miami, FL
Program Dates: June to July, six-week duration
Application Deadline: Applications for the next summer internship open spring 2025
Stipend: Interns are paid $12 per hour, receiving payment for up to 180 hours of work during the six-week program
Best Art Internships for High School Students (Continued)
20) Asian Art Museum Art Speak Internship
Location: Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, CA
Program Dates: 10 months; 6 to 8 hours weekly throughout the school year
Application Deadline: Not yet available as the program is currently on hold due to reorganization of the programming department
Stipend: Bi-weekly payment
21) Getty Museum’s Teen Gallery Guides
Location: The Getty Museum, Los Angeles, CA
Program Dates: 7 weeks during the summer
Application Deadline: Applications for the summer 2025 internship will be available in February 2025
Stipend: Paid internship
22) High School Internship, The Montclair Art Museum
Location: Montclair Art Museum, Montclair, New Jersey
Program Dates: Throughout the academic year
Application Deadline: September 20
Stipend: $13 per hour
Best Art Internships for High School Students (Continued)
23) Richard Louie Memorial Internship, National Museum of Asian Art
Location: National Museum of Asian Art, Washington, D.C.
Program Dates: Minimum of 200 hours of internship a year
Application Deadline: Spring (October 15), Summer (March 15), and Fall (August 15)
Stipend: $1,500 upon completion of the internship
24) Saturday Workshops, The One Club for Creativity
Location: The One Club for Creativity
Program Dates: Saturdays for high school sophomores and juniors
Application Deadline: Not listed on the website
Stipend: Currently not available
Best Art Internships for High School Students (Continued)
25) Student Historian Internship Program, New York Historical Society Museum and Library
Location: The New York Historical Society, New York, NY
Program Dates: October to June, six weeks
Application Deadline: Applications now closed; check back on the website for future updates
Stipend: $700 upon successful completion of the internship
26) Work of Art, Inner-City Arts
Location: Inner-City Arts, Los Angeles, CA
Program Dates: Contact the Associate Director for more information
Application Deadline: Winter of each year
Stipend: Not listed on the website
27) Teen Programs, Seattle Art Museum
Location: Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA
Program Dates: October to May, Thursday evenings
Application Deadline: Mid-May
Stipend: Stipend or community-service learning credits available
The many benefits of securing an art internship for high school students
Completing an art internship in high school sends a message to college admissions officers and hiring managers: it helps them understand just how driven you are. In the list compiled above, you might have seen how many of these art internships for high school students happen during the summer or throughout the school year. Can it be overwhelming to balance out the right internship schedule during your junior and senior years? Possibly, but it also depends on how you look at the outcome. Gaining the appropriate art internship experience during high school has vast potential to help you get closer to your goals, whatever they may be in the art world.
Who knows? One day you might be working at the very place you were a high school art intern, ready to help those who were once in your shoes.
Best Art Internships for High School Students – Relevant Resources
