15 Summer Art Programs for High School Students in Florida
- Stephen Turban
- Jul 18
- 10 min read
Updated: Oct 11
If you are a high school student in Florida interested in art, design, or related fields, participating in an art program can be a productive way to spend your summer. Art programs designed for high schoolers typically offer opportunities to explore art forms, key concepts and theories, tools and methods used to create art, and hands-on experiences. Most such opportunities are conducted during summer, allowing you to learn during your school break.
These programs can also help you learn about careers in the arts and develop the skills required to pursue these opportunities in the future. Art programs also offer opportunities to meet and learn from artists and professionals in fields like animation, sculpting, graphic design, and art gallery management. As a participant, you will also get to work on projects that you can add to your own portfolio!
To help you find the right option, we have shortlisted 15 summer art programs for high school students in Florida. We have prioritized opportunities that are credible, rigorous, and hands-on.
Location: Online
Application deadline: Multiple cohorts scheduled in a year with different application deadlines; summer cohort applications are typically due in May/June
Dates: Vary based on the cohort you choose; summer cohorts typically begin in June/July.
Eligibility: High school students
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is meant for high schoolers interested in exploring an area of interest through research. Here, you will get to work on an independent research project under one-on-one mentorship of a Ph.D.-level expert. You can indicate your preference for arts, design, or other related research areas while applying. Then, you can choose a topic in art. During the program, you will have access to a writing coach to help you write your research paper. By the end of the program, you will have a complete university-level research paper. You can learn more about the available program formats and research areas on the application form here.
Location: Virtual
Application deadline: Varies based on the selected cohort; summer cohorts typically have May/June deadlines
Dates: Multiple cohorts run every year, including summer cohorts
Eligibility: High school students, undergraduates, and gap year students
Ladder Internships is a virtual internship program for high school students interested in working with a high-growth start-up. Here, the start-ups are typically high-growth companies (raising over $1 million on average) that operate across various industries, including art, design, graphic design, and architecture. As an intern, you will get to work with the start-up manager and a Ladder Coach on real-world projects relevant to the given organization. You will also get to present your work to the organization at the end of the internship. This experience can offer you hands-on work experience in a STEM field of your choice. Apply now!
Location: Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), North Miami, FL
Cost: None
Application deadline: Rolling admissions
Dates: Summer session: April 1 – May 30, held Monday–Friday after school
Eligibility: Students who are 13 to 17 years old
MOCA’s Teen Art Force is a free, multidisciplinary after-school program designed to help teens build foundational skills in the visual arts while exploring creative careers. Here, you will engage in hands-on classes covering drawing, sculpture, digital art, fashion design, photography, and printmaking. Each weekday focuses on a different theme, from figure drawing and portfolio development to textile design and mixed media experimentation. You will also gain behind-the-scenes insights into museum operations, participate in field trips to artist studios and galleries, and contribute to MOCA’s annual zine, MOCAzine. The program ends with student-led exhibitions, including the annual “Art x Couture Night” fashion show and the “Teen Art Force: Bloom” gallery showcase, offering you the opportunity to present your work to the public and build a professional portfolio.
Location: University of South Florida (USF) campus, Tampa, FL
Cost: $750
Application deadline: Not specified
Dates: July 14 – 18
Eligibility: Students in grades 10 to 12
USF offers various camps to elementary, middle, and high school students. Its Art of Filmmaking Camp is a week-long summer program that covers the fundamentals of filmmaking, including camera work, lighting, sound, and editing, and offers opportunities to work on hands-on digital projects. Here, you will collaborate with peers to develop short films from concept to final cut, learning how to craft strong visual narratives using professional tools and techniques. Instruction is offered on real-world production workflows, helping you build both technical skills and creative instincts essential for film, media, and digital storytelling. The program ends with a public screening of your work, giving you a chance to present your film and get feedback. By the end of camp, you will have a new addition for your digital portfolio, a collaborative production experience, and a better understanding of how to approach future college or creative opportunities.
Location: Orlando Museum of Art, Orlando, FL
Cost: Museum member pricing: $255 for the full-day weeklong program and $62 – $155 for the half-day weeklong program; Non-member pricing: $280 for the full-day weeklong program or $102 – $170 for the half-day weeklong program
Application deadline: One week before the first day of the chosen session
Dates: Multiple sessions—June 9 – 13 | June 23 – 27 | July 7 – 11 | July 21 – 25; check session details here
Eligibility: Students in grades 9 – 12
Orlando Museum of Art offers various art camps to K-12 students during the summer. For high schoolers, the Summer Art Camp experience involves participating in studio-style classes to explore various media and art forms. At camp, you will get to draw, paint, and work with mixed media to build your portfolio. You will also explore topics like graphic storytelling, entertainment design, and fantasy creature design. You will also engage in hands-on projects like creating your own mini-comic, mood boards, and design portfolios. The program also offers insights into how natural and anatomical designs influence fashion and architecture.
Location: Ringling College of Art and Design campus, Sarasota, FL
Cost: $255/session
Application deadline: Rolling admissions until sessions are filled
Dates: June 2 – 19
Eligibility: Students who are 13 – 18 years old
Ringling College’s Teen Studios program is an opportunity to explore both traditional and digital art in a college-level studio setting. You can register for multiple courses, each covering a different topic, technique, or concept in art. Here, you will engage in hands-on projects across a range of media—from drawing and painting to digital design and fabrication, while also developing your personal style and refining your technique. The courses are structured to help you grow creatively, whether you are building foundational skills or adding to your portfolio. During the program, you will also have access to the college's facilities and maker spaces, offering a preview of life at an art and design school. Along the way, you will get to connect with like-minded peers and develop a clearer understanding of the creative paths available to you after high school.
Location: Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL
Cost: $125
Application deadline: Not specified
Dates: June 2 – 6
Eligibility: Students in grades 9 to 12
The Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University offers summer camps across subject areas and co-curricular and extracurricular activities designed for school students. The university’s Write Your Way Up! Summer Camp provides high school students with an opportunity to develop college-level writing skills under the guidance of English faculty and trained FAMU students. At camp, you will get to explore various forms of art—visual, digital, and literary and access campus resources like the museum and art gallery. During the program, you will work on adding to your digital portfolio and then presenting it to parents, faculty, and staff. You will also get to attend writing workshops. The camp also offers opportunities to get your work published in the university’s literary journal.
Location: Istituto Marangoni Miami campus, Miami, FL
Cost: $2,500
Application deadline: June 5
Dates: July 28 – August 8 | July 14 – 25 | June 30 – July 11 | June 16 – 27 | June 2 – 13
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 15 years old
Istituto Marangoni Miami, a design school, offers various pre-college opportunities to high school students interested in learning about fashion design. Its Fashion Summer Camp is a two-week in-person program covering the basics of design, styling, and the business of fashion. Here, you will get to work on your fashion drawing skills and techniques and learn how to create garments. You will also engage in activities like textile selection, upcycling clothes, and planning and staging a fashion photoshoot. The program also offers insights into fashion trends and marketing strategies while helping you build your own fashion portfolio. You will learn from instructors and industry professionals and have access to personalized coaching and feedback on your designs and plans.
Location: ArtReach Orlando’s Community Classroom, Orlando, FL
Cost: $265; scholarships are available
Application deadline: Not specified; those who apply before March 1 get a $40 discount
Dates: July 21 – 25
Eligibility: Rising 9th to 12th graders
ArtReach Orlando offers art-focused summer camps to K-12 students each year. The Artists in Wondercamp for Teens offers high school students opportunities to learn about and practice digital and analog art-making. Here, you will experiment with techniques like digital illustration, painting, and mixed media to explore new forms of creative expression and develop your personal style. You will also learn how to layer and combine physical artwork with digital creations using Procreate and stop-motion techniques. You will also get some exposure to the work of contemporary artists during the program.
Location: Virtual options available for Florida students
Cost: $3,550
Application deadline: May 31
Dates: July 21 – August 15
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors
Through the Pre-College Summer Studios program, MassArt offers in-person and virtual studio-based art experiences to high school students. This four-week program can help you build foundational and conceptual art skills across 2D and 3D disciplines. Coursework covers observational drawing, spatial construction, and critical art analysis. You will work with professional artists to explore both traditional and contemporary art practices. You can opt for virtual electives, such as Illustration and Mixed Media, to experiment with storytelling and visual communication. The program emphasizes independent development, portfolio refinement, and peer feedback. It ends with a virtual exhibition of your work.
Location: Online
Cost: $3,241
Application deadline: June 13
Dates: July 21 – August 1
Eligibility: High school students who are entering grades 9 to 12 in spring and are at least 15 years old
UCLA’s Department of Design Media Arts is a two-week online summer institute that can help you build core skills in four connected fields: 2D image creation, web-based art, 3D worldbuilding, and motion design. Here, you will get to work with professional software while exploring design principles, internet art, game engines like Unity, and time-based media such as animation and video. During the program, instructors will help you analyze both social and visual aspects of media, experiment with design methods, and develop a multimedia final project, which will be showcased in an online exhibition. The program emphasizes collaborative work and interdisciplinary thinking, providing foundational experience useful for advanced study in digital media and design. You also have the opportunity to earn four units of pass/no pass UC credit upon completing the program.
Location: Online
Cost: $750; financial assistance is available
Application deadline: March 14
Dates: June 16 – 27
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–11
University of Michigan’s Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design offers in-person and virtual portfolio-building opportunities to high school students through its Portfolio Prep program. You can choose the virtual Portfolio Prep program to spend two weeks engaging in foundation courses covering drawing, 2D, 3D, and 4D media, and developing technical and conceptual skills. Coursework also covers animation, spatial design, and performance-based practices. Through hands-on project work, you will get to practice physical and digital art creation. The program offers portfolio preparation assistance, admissions guidance, and critiques from faculty and admissions staff. Peer reviews and portfolio consultations are also part of the experience, helping you get targeted feedback to build a competitive application portfolio.
Location: Online
Cost: $1,380
Application deadline: Session I: June 6 | Session II: July 10
Dates: Session I: June 14 – July 12 | Session II: June 13 – August 10
Eligibility: High school students in grades 10–12 who are 15 to 18 years old
Rhode Island School of Design’s Advanced Program Online is a rigorous summer course that simulates college-level art and design study in a virtual format. Here, you will get to work on conceptual thinking, experimentation, and building a flexible, creative process through structured and open-ended art and design projects. You will get to work on your portfolio, improve visual analysis skills, and engage in iterative practice during the program. The program offers personalized critique and interaction with the university faculty, along with opportunities to connect with peers and professional artists. The curriculum also covers college preparation and contemporary creative problem-solving.
Location: Online
Cost: $3,080
Application deadline: March 1 (for summer session)
Dates: Session 1: June 16 – 27 | Session 2: July 7 – 18
Eligibility: Students in grades 9 to 11
Stanford University provides high school students with online pre-college opportunities. Here, you can take a college-level course for two weeks in the summer. Its Art, Design, and Technology course covers digital, electronic, and interactive art. As a participant, you will get to learn creative coding and how to create digital art through hands-on activities and lectures. You will work with design software and electronics and explore data-driven storytelling and various forms of expression. You will create original artwork with the help of digital tools and skills you acquire during the course. This experience can also offer you insights into the existing technological landscape and the link between art and technology.
Location: Online
Cost: $5,520
Application deadline: May 19
Dates: June 23 – July 11
Eligibility: Rising and current high school juniors and seniors between the ages of 15 and 19
The Art as Experience course offered by Cornell University is a three-week online opportunity to explore the current art practices and ideas. Here, you will engage in studio projects involving various art media, from drawing and collage to digital photography and video installation. You will also engage in readings, attend guest lectures, and get access to critiques to develop a better understanding of your own artistic skills. You will also work on your art portfolio throughout the program and add to it by working on hands-on art projects. Field trips are also part of the experience.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program in which students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.
Image Source - Lumiere Research Scholar Program logo