Summer Art Programs for High School Students: A Comprehensive Guide

For high school students passionate about art, summer programs offer an invaluable opportunity to hone their skills, explore new mediums, and gain insight into the world of art. These programs can help students decide if a career path in the arts is right for them as they prepare for college. This article explores various summer art programs designed to foster creativity, critical thinking, and confidence in young artists.

The Value of Summer Art Programs

Summer programs provide high schoolers with a unique chance to focus on their craft. These programs sometimes help students decide if a certain career path is right or wrong for them as they are entering college. Participating in such programs can be a great resume builder, demonstrating a student's commitment to their artistic development. Moreover, if the courses are taken at an accredited college, students can often use those credit hours later in their college career.

Types of Summer Art Programs

Summer art programs come in various formats, each offering a unique learning experience. Some programs focus on intensive studio work, while others provide a broader introduction to different art forms and career paths.

Intensive Studio Programs

These programs are designed for students who want to immerse themselves in a specific art form. They typically involve a rigorous curriculum of core classes, hands-on instruction from faculty, and ample studio time.

Interlochen Center for the Arts: Interlochen is well known for its summer camps in every form of art, from music to theater- but their most popular are Visual Arts programs. For the 9th through 12th grade program, Interlochen offers Advanced Drawing, Advanced Painting, Comics and Graphic Narratives Intensive, Drawing and Painting, Fashion, Preparing a Portfolio, and Visual Arts programs for students to choose from. Students will be taught about a variety of different topics particular to the art that they want to hone in on. For each of these programs, students attend camp for three weeks. Students are fully immersed in the arts as they learn alongside faculty and staff who are professional artists themselves. Students will also be offered opportunities to be a part of art galleries and exhibitions throughout the program.
School of Visual Arts (SVA) Pre-College Program: SVA Pre-College is designed for high school students who want to enhance their creative skills, explore a specific field of art, develop a portfolio, and experience the challenges and triumphs that come with attending a dynamic visual arts college. All courses are taught by the same industry-leading professional faculty who teach in the undergraduate program at the School of Visual Arts. Students will explore the fundamentals of art and design at a level not readily available in high school. Students will receive three credits for the successful completion of the summer program and one college credit for the successful completion of the fall or spring program. The summer program is open to all students who will be entering their freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior year of high school in the fall of 2026.

Pre-College Programs

These programs offer a taste of college life and art education. They often include college-level courses, workshops, and opportunities to interact with college faculty and students.

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Tufts University's Pre-College Art Programs: Tufts’s Pre-College art programs are conveniently situated in the heart of a global city known for arts and culture. With the international city of Boston as your backdrop, you’ll gain access to world-renowned art museums like the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts. Dreaming of going to art school? Our summer studio intensives can make those dreams a reality. We offer two to three-week intensives to help you hone your creativity, sharpen your skills, and discover new approaches and mediums. You’ll get to participate in three exciting foundation classes: Drawing and Painting, Sculpture/3D, and Animation. Our courses are taught by faculty members in partnership with the School of the Museum of Fine Arts. Through the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University, you’ll work with renowned artists and educators, as well as gain admission to Boston’s finest and most sought-after museums.
- Faculty at Tufts:
  - Grace Giordano is an artist based in Boston, MA. She is currently an MFA candidate in Painting at Boston University and previously received her BFA in Art and Design from the University of Michigan. In addition to her painting practice, Grace has experience in teaching, student services, peer programming, and academic advising for college art students.
  - Sammy Polinsky is a multi-disciplinary artist based in Boston, MA. She received her Master in Fine Arts in 2023 at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University and her Bachelor of Arts at Dickinson College. She is currently working as a Display Artist for Anthropologie where she constructs 3-dimensional displays from scratch.
  - Zoila Andrea Coc-Chang is an educator and mixed-media artist whose work interrogates the complexities and intimacies between and within Asia and Americas. Coc-Chang holds an MFA in Painting & Printmaking from Yale School of Art and her BA in Studio Art & Education Studies from Brandeis University. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including: Jamestown Arts Center (Jamestown, RI), 193 Gallery (Paris, France), XXIII Bienal de Arte Paiz (Antigua, Guatemala), The Arsenal at Central Park (New York, NY), Jeffrey Deitch (New York, NY), Providence Public Library (Providence, RI), Lycoming College Art Gallery (Williamsport, PA), and the Museum of Fine Arts (Boston, MA). Coc-Chang completed an apprenticeship at STPI Creative Workshop & Gallery Singapore (2022) and was an artist fellow at A.I.R Gallery in New York (2022-23).
  - Kelsey Rogers is a lecturer in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Tufts University, and an Affiliated Expert in Acoustics at Acentech, a consulting firm based in Cambridge, MA. As an acoustician, she works at the intersection of music, engineering, and design, and her primary areas of interest are in acoustical measurement, simulation, and concert hall design. Kelsey got her undergraduate degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University and a masters degree in Architectural Acoustics from RPI. At Tufts, she teaches Introduction to Music Engineering and Architectural Acoustics. Kelsey is also actively involved in student outreach and scholarship programs for Professional Women in Construction.
Cornell University's Art as Experience Summer Programs: The Art as Experience Summer Programs at Cornell University give high school students the opportunity to take college level art classes to enhance their skills. These classes cover drawing, photography, and digital art, as well as transmedia (image, sound, and motion) and sculpture art. The program also offers a college admissions workshop, a college fair for students interested in studying the arts, and a final exhibition. Summer program studios at Cornell, whether online or in-person, are credit-bearing, giving students a jump start on their college education.
Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design Pre-College Program: The Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design Pre-College Program is a two-week program designed for high school students to get a taste of college art and design courses, get them ready for college, and to help them develop a portfolio. The program is located in the heart of Milwaukee, known for its arts district and creativity.
Cleveland Institute of Art Pre-College Program: The Cleveland Institute of Art Pre-College Program is an artist-in-residence program for high school students. The program is designed for 9th through 12th graders to gain the necessary skills to apply to art school. Students can choose between two or four-week sessions; during those weeks, students immerse themselves in creating art and learn how to better their skill sets.
Pre-College Art Experience (PCAE) at Academy of Art University: The Pre-College Art Experience (PCAE) at Academy of Art University is a program designed to help students jump-start their careers in the field of art, develop their portfolio, and earn money towards their college education. They offer two separate programs- an in-person option that is located in San Francisco, California during the summer, or an online version that runs year-round. To earn money towards their degree, students must take classes and receive a “PASS”.

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UCLA Summer Art Institute Program: The UCLA Summer Art Institute Program is designed for high school students who are passionate about art. This is an intense program, filled with a great deal of activities such as studio work, group critiques, artist lectures, and one-on-one meetings with faculty.
Early College Program Summer Institute at School of the Arts Institute of Chicago: The Early College Program Summer Institute at School of the Arts Institute of Chicago is a summer arts program that believes their values separate them from other summer programs. This program offers state of the art facilities for students to work out of, the opportunity to study with world renowned faculty and staff, understand college life by living in the residence halls, and helping students to understand their vision for their future.
Syracuse University Pre-College Summer Program: The Syracuse University Pre-College Summer Program offers courses in architecture, art and design, as well as film and photography (in addition to many other non-art related courses). These courses offer students the opportunity to experience life as a college student, take college level courses in their desired field of study, and get to know faculty and staff.
Savannah College of Art and Design Pre-College Program: The Savannah College of Art and Design hosts an annual pre-college program at their Savannah and Atlanta campuses. This program is a five-week program that challenges students and helps them to gain a real life college experience prior to entering their first year of college.
California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA): The California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA) is a month-long training program for high school students. While attending, students learn more about their preferred art form- whether that be animation, film, or visual arts. Each program is an intensive course that helps students to dive into their studies, prepare for college level courses, and have the opportunity to attend lectures and workshops with guest speakers.

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NYU High School Summer Art Intensive: The NYU High School Summer Art Intensive creates a close-knit community of young artists who experience the NYU Art Department much like our matriculated art majors during the academic year. Students will work directly with practicing art professionals who bring a level of expertise in the field that only NYU can offer. Students will take core courses in the morning and electives in the afternoon. During the final week of the program, students will show their work in a culminating exhibition in our galleries, The Commons and Rosenberg. Housing in an NYU Student Residence Hall within walking distance of the Barney Building, our studio art facility in the East Village, is mandatory for this program.

Youth Programs

These programs cater to younger students and focus on fostering creativity and experimentation.

MassArt Youth and Teen Programs: At MassArt, we offer youth and teen programs that encourage children and teens to dig in and try new things - without the fear of failure. Here, they can get messy. They can stain their hands with ink and lead, get paint on their shoes, and clay under their fingernails.
Herron School of Art and Design Summer Art Camps: Herron's weeklong summer youth art camps are designed to inspire, pique curiosity, and channel enthusiasm, transforming the wonder of each child's imagination into objects of invention and creativity. Participants will be encouraged to experiment and take risks to pursue ideas, forms, and meanings that emerge during the studio process while exploring narrative themes. Participants will work with materials like construction paper, found objects, and clay. Participants will experiment with additive and subtractive sculpture techniques and traditional media such as polymer clay, 3D printing, and found objects. Book and papermaking as a sculptural art form will also be explored.

Key Considerations When Choosing a Program

When selecting a summer art program, consider the following factors:

Program Focus: Determine which art forms or mediums you want to explore.
Program Length: Decide whether you prefer a short intensive or a longer, more immersive experience.
Location: Consider whether you want to stay close to home or travel to a new city or state.
Cost: Research the program fees and available financial aid or scholarships. Many pre-college programs offer a limited number of scholarships that could cover 75%-100% of your costs. These scholarships are based on demonstrated need and underscore our commitment to expanding access to education and welcoming students from all backgrounds.
Faculty: Look into the instructors' credentials and experience.
College Credit: Determine if the program offers college credit, which can be beneficial for future studies. If you’re enrolled in the Tufts College Experience, you’ll have the option to live on campus as part of this residential program. However, you can also select the commuter option.

Portfolio Development

Many summer art programs emphasize portfolio development, providing students with guidance on selecting their best work and presenting it effectively. Your portfolio showcases your skills as an artist and how you approach meaning-making through art. There’s no better place to develop as an artist than in the SMFA program at Tufts. Our world-class staff will help you learn to work with new materials and connect to bigger ideas. Gain insight and expertise into what pieces to select and how to use your portfolio to boost your college and scholarship applications.

Online vs. In-Person Programs

While many art programs are traditionally in person due to the hands-on nature of the discipline, there are also online options available. At present, the Art as Experience Summer Programs at Cornell University are not offered in person, so this is a great online opportunity for students who want to stay close to home.

Balancing Independence and Supervision

Some programs, like the SVA Pre-College Program, offer a balance of structured classes and unstructured time for students to explore the surrounding city. As opposed to a traditional summer camp, SVA Pre-College offers students the opportunity to balance structured and unstructured time out of the classroom and the option to live in an SVA Residence Hall in Manhattan. After class ends, and prior to the residential curfew, Pre-College students are permitted to explore New York City and find what our metropolis has to offer. With the exception of a hosted extracurricular outing, students are not supervised when they are outside of SVA buildings. This level of independence is a purposeful aspect of the program, akin to being a college student. Families should understand this level of independence when signing up for the program.

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