15 Paid Fine Art Internships for High School Students
If you’re a high school student interested in the arts, internships are a good way to gain industry experience and explore careers in the field. Many fine arts internships for high schoolers offer stipends or hourly wages, allowing you to earn income while gaining work experience. Internships offer the chance to build skills and valuable professional connections. Doing an internship can make your college applications stand out by showing admissions officers that you’ve explored your interests outside of school.
For students considering a creative career, gaining early exposure to the professional art world can be a valuable advantage. Many top museums and arts organizations offer paid fine art internships, allowing you to learn from professionals in the field. In this list, we’ve compiled fine art internships that offer experience in professional art environments. This includes gallery assistance, studio work, arts administration, curatorial support, and art education at museums, community arts centers, and non-profit organizations.
Here are 15 paid fine art internships for high school students that can help you build a strong foundation for your future in the fine arts!
15 Paid Fine Art Internships for High School Students
1. The Met High School Internship Program
Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Stipend: $1,100
Dates: June 21 – August 8 (tentative)
Application Deadline: March 7 (tentative)
Eligibility: 10th-11th graders residing in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut
The Met High School Internship Program gives you an inside look at how a major museum operates while allowing you to work alongside professionals in areas like curatorial, digital media, design, education, and social media. You’ll join a small cohort, assist with real projects, and observe how teams research objects, prepare exhibitions, and create digital and public programs. Throughout the internship, you will build practical skills in communication, research, writing, teamwork, and professional networking. You will also have opportunities to connect your own interests with different museum roles through guided activities and conversations with staff.
2. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: Teen Programs
Location: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
Stipend: $15/hour
Dates: Year-round
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors
Museum of Fine Arts Teen Programs offer hands-on opportunities to explore museum work while enhancing leadership and professional skills. You will join the Teen Arts Council, assist visitors as a Program Assistant or Visitor Aide, and help create teen-focused events that showcase the museum’s collections. Through studio art classes and workshops, you’ll develop your creativity and learn from artists, community leaders, and innovators. The program provides behind-the-scenes access to museum operations, offering insight into careers in curation, education, and museum management. You’ll also build skills in teamwork, communication, and problem-solving.
3. The Art Institute of Chicago: Opportunities for Teens
Location: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Stipend: Paid
Dates: Teen Council: September 13 – June 6 of the next year; Summer Internship: June –August
Application Deadline: June 30 (Teen Council); In the spring through here (Summer Internship)
Eligibility: Chicagoland high school students (16+)
The Art Institute of Chicago Teen Programs gives you practical museum experience while you develop leadership and creative skills. In the Teen Council, you will work with museum staff to design programs for local teens and participate in regular museum sessions. Summer Internships let you support festivals, gallery tours, and workshops while learning from museum professionals and connecting with local artists. Both programs provide behind-the-scenes access to the collection and opportunities to build skills in communication, teamwork, and event planning. They offer hands-on experience that you can include on your resume and allow you to explore potential careers in arts and culture.
4. The J. Paul Getty Museum: Teen Gallery Guides
Location: The Getty Museum, Los Angeles, CA
Stipend: $2,300
Dates: May 3 – August 2
Application Deadline: March 5
Eligibility: High school rising juniors or seniors in Los Angeles County; Must live within 25 miles of the Getty Center
Teen Gallery Guides at the Getty gives you the chance to explore museum work while developing your voice as an art interpreter. As an intern, you will train over the summer to create engaging ways for visitors to connect with photography, painting, and sculpture. You will lead tours for K-12 students, collaborate with other teens, and learn how museum professionals shape visitor experiences. The program also brings you behind the scenes at the Getty Center so you can see how exhibitions and learning programs come together. By the end of the program, you will have gained hands-on experience that strengthens your confidence and communication skills.
5. Brooklyn Museum’s Creative Practice
Location: Brooklyn Museum, New York, NY
Stipend: $16.50 per hour
Dates: Year-round: September – June of the next year
Application Deadline: July 27
Eligibility: New York City high school students
Creative Practice at the Brooklyn Museum provides an opportunity to gain insight into supporting art education within a museum environment. You’ll assist teaching artists in studio classes, help prepare materials, and practice skills like lesson planning and classroom management. Throughout the program, you’ll meet artists, educators, and museum staff who’ll show you how creative work can advance social justice and community engagement. You’ll also collaborate with teens across New York City on projects connected to current exhibitions and wider conversations in art, fashion, and design. As you create your own artwork and engage with audiences of all ages, you’ll develop stronger communication, organization, and time-management skills.
6. Whitney Museum of American Art: Youth Insights Leaders
Location: Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY
Stipend: Paid
Dates: September – May
Application Deadline: August 22
Eligibility: New York City high school students entering grades 10-12 (priority for those with prior Whitney teen program involvement)
Youth Insights Leaders offers a paid opportunity to work directly inside the Whitney’s education department and contribute to programs that serve the wider community. You’ll help plan public events, collaborate with Whitney artists, and lead interactive tours that introduce visitors to the museum’s collection and exhibitions. You’ll also support Family and Community programs, gaining hands-on experience with how museums design learning for diverse audiences. Throughout the internship, you’ll exchange ideas with teen programs across New York City and take part in special projects that deepen your understanding of museum education.
7. Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) Teen Programs
Location: Museum of Arts and Design, New York, NY
Stipend: $16.50/hour (Artslife); Paid, amount not specified (RECESS)
Dates: Artslife: 6 weeks in summer; RECESS I and II: February 18 – 21 & April 15 – 18
Application Deadline: Artslife: April 21; RECESS: January 12
Eligibility: High school students
MAD Teen Programs offers two paid ways to explore art, design, and museum work in a hands-on setting. Both options give you behind-the-scenes access, mentorship from professionals, and a clearer sense of possible arts careers. Through Artslife, you’ll spend six summer weeks learning how different museum departments operate. You’ll work with staff, designers, and visiting artists on projects like creating artwork, developing a podcast, and leading peer-to-peer tours. You’ll begin with a week focused on team building and orientation, followed by five weeks of collaborative work that introduces you to curatorial practice, education, development, and communications. The shorter RECESS intensives take place during school breaks and guide you through developing and leading youth-friendly tours of current exhibitions. You’ll also strengthen your communication and public speaking skills.
8. The Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum: Design Hive
Location: Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, New York, NY
Stipend: $2,000
Dates: December 2 – May 19 of the next year
Application Deadline: Late September
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors based in the NYC area
Design Hive allows you to explore how real designers turn ideas into finished work by guiding you through a series of hands-on, youth-led projects at Cooper Hewitt. As a participant, you’ll spend weekly sessions analyzing design objects, experimenting with creative processes, and collaborating with peers to develop your own final pieces. Attending sessions both at the museum and at off-site locations gives you a wider view of how design functions in different environments. Throughout the experience, you’ll gain insight into design thinking, build teamwork and project development skills, and learn how creative ideas evolve within professional practice.
9. Museum of Contemporary Art’s Teen Creative Agency
Location: Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Chicago, IL
Stipend: Up to $1,600 annually
Dates: September – June
Application Deadline: April 26
Eligibility: Students aged 15-19 in Chicagoland
Teen Creative Agency allows you to explore contemporary art while developing your own voice as a cultural leader. You’ll meet weekly at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, collaborating with peers to create projects that respond to issues you care about. Along the way, you’ll visit other cultural institutions, engage with artists and professionals, and learn how to present your ideas to the public. The program emphasizes teamwork, creative problem-solving, and understanding the value of your perspective within a community. Under the guidance of experienced Lead Artists, you’ll gain hands-on experience in museum engagement and project development.
10. ICA SF Teen Program
Location: Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Stipend: $150 honorarium (upon full attendance)
Dates: Multiple sessions from September 20 – November 15
Application Deadline: September 4
Eligibility: Bay Area high school students (15-18) with any art experience
ICA SF Teen Program allows you to explore contemporary art while developing skills in creative practice and arts leadership. You will meet twice a month with museum educators to engage in discussions, projects, and public speaking exercises that encourage critical thinking and personal expression. The program emphasizes understanding social, political, and cultural issues through art while providing insight into careers in the arts. You will have opportunities to create original work and collaborate with peers to develop projects with purpose. The experience culminates in a public engagement day where you lead tours and workshops, sharing your ideas and skills with the broader community.
11. Milwaukee Art Museum Internships
Location: Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI
Stipend: Paid
Dates: Satellite Teens: October 2 – December 11; ArtXpress: July 10-August 1
Application Deadline: Satellite Teens: August 29; ArtXpress: June 6
Eligibility: Milwaukee-based high school juniors and seniors (16-18)
Milwaukee Art Museum Teen Programs offer two internship opportunities—Satellite Teens and ArtXpress—that introduce you to museum work and creative practice. As a Satellite Teen Intern, you’ll collaborate with museum staff and local artists, explore offsite studios and galleries, and develop projects that use art to challenge and shift culture. You will create and lead tours for elementary students and present a final collaborative project at the Museum. In the ArtXpress program, you will work with peers and local artists to design a mural inspired by the Museum’s collection and exhibitions while mentoring younger students through tours and art-making. The program concludes with a public celebration unveiling your mural on a Milwaukee County Transit bus.
12. Arts for Learning ArtWorks Summer Internship
Location: Arts for Learning, Miami, FL
Stipend: $12 – $14 per hour
Dates: June 16 – July 25
Application Deadline: April 16
Eligibility: Current 9th-12th graders in Florida
ArtWorks Internships in the Arts gives you hands-on experience across a variety of artistic disciplines. Over six weeks, you will work alongside professional artists in areas such as visual art, dance and theater, music production, creative writing, animation, film, or architecture, creating original works of art. As an intern, you will report to the MDC Koubek Center and receive guidance from both the Arts for Learning staff and professional mentors. The program emphasizes collaboration, creative problem-solving, and professional development, giving you insight into arts careers. By the end of the internship, you will have practical experience, portfolio work, and strengthened leadership and teamwork skills that can support future academic and career opportunities.
13. Asian Art Museum Art Speak Internship
Location: Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, CA
Stipend: Bi-weekly payments
Dates: August – May (6-8 hours weekly)
Application Deadline: June
Eligibility: Bay Area public high school students
Art Speak Internship offers you the chance to explore Asian art and cultural traditions while learning from local artists and arts organizations, gaining experience in art creation and facilitation. The internship provides opportunities to engage in social justice and youth activism, conduct informational interviews with museum staff, and develop leadership skills through creating and leading art activities. You will also build professional skills in communication, collaboration, and project planning while connecting with peers who share your interests. By the end of the program, you will gain practical experience, deepen your understanding of arts careers, and strengthen your portfolio and resume.
14. Brooklyn Interns for Arts and Culture (BIAC)
Location: Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), Brooklyn, NY
Stipend: Paid
Dates: Three sessions: Summer (1 week in August), Fall (October – December), and Spring (February – June)
Application Deadline: June 6
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors from one of the five New York boroughs (Brooklyn, Manhattan, Staten Island, Queens, or the Bronx) with a GPA of 2.0 or higher and an interest in the arts
BAM Internship for the Arts and Culture gives you behind-the-scenes access to performing arts venues while preparing you for college and a career in the arts. You will learn arts management, develop a professional resume, improve public speaking skills, and create a post-high school career plan. The program provides support for college applications, builds your professional network, and teaches wellness practices to navigate life transitions. You will participate in workshops, engage with arts professionals, and connect with a cohort of peers who share your interests. By the end of the year-long internship, you will gain practical experience, career readiness, and insight into pursuing opportunities in media, visual, performing, or digital arts.
15. Bloomberg Arts Internship Program
Location: Various arts organizations in New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, Baltimore, or Los Angeles
Stipend: $1,800 – $2,200 (varies by site)
Dates: 8 weeks from June – August
Application Deadline: Typically, in the late winter or early spring (varies by city)
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors from participating cities
The Bloomberg Arts Internship gives you the chance to gain experience at local arts and culture organizations while developing work-readiness and college preparation skills. You will engage in projects across arts administration, exhibition planning, marketing, and event coordination, working closely with mentors to build professional skills. The program includes supplementary activities to explore creative career paths and strengthen your understanding of the cultural sector. As a participant, you will expand your network, develop practical experience, and enhance your resume and college applications.
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