7 Summer Art Programs for High School Students in Massachusetts
If you're a high school student in Massachusetts considering studying art in college, it’s worth exploring an art program during the summer! These programs will allow you to deepen your creative skills, explore potential career paths, and build connections with like-minded peers and professionals.
Engaging in these opportunities fosters personal growth, discipline, and critical thinking while allowing you to experiment with different mediums and techniques. Early exposure to structured artistic environments will also help you develop a portfolio and demonstrate passion for the arts, enhancing your college applications. Note that the following information is based on the most recent program, with dates subject to change but generally similar from year to year.
Here are 7 summer art programs for high school students in Massachusetts that you can consider!
Location: Snow Farm, Williamsburg, MA
Cost: $4,350; a limited number of scholarships are available.
Application Deadline: Early deadline: December 31; Standard deadline: February 28
Program Dates: Session 1: June 29–July 11; Session 2: July 13–July 25
Eligibility: Teens aged 14–18 can apply.
The Snow Farm Summer Craft Program allows students to receive focused art instruction and work in modern studios. Throughout the program, you will take studio classes in a variety of disciplines, including flameworking, ceramics, painting and drawing, metalsmithing, jewelry, sculpture, and flat glass. After instruction, you will return to the studios for additional supervised open studio time to practice your skills, work on projects, and explore new techniques. The second week lets you focus on an area of interest and create a final project. Each studio class takes a field trip to enhance their learning, including visits to an artist's studio, a museum exhibit, or a gallery.
Location: In-person at Tufts University, Greater Boston Area, MA, or virtual.
Cost: Variable depending on the course selected:
SMFA Studio Art: $5,000 (Commuter) | $6,750 (Residential) + $200 (materials fee)
SMFA Graphic Design Bootcamp: $2,000 (Virtual)
Application Deadline: May 1
Program Dates: Between July and August.
Eligibility: Students entering grades 10–12 or a spring high school graduate may apply.
Tufts Pre-College and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts offer two summer programs for high school students in Studio Art and Graphic Design. In the Studio Art program, you will join a community of artists to explore both familiar and new mediums. Through an interdisciplinary approach, you’ll work in drawing, painting, sculpture, and animation while developing conceptually sophisticated artwork. The Graphic Design program provides a week-long introduction to the field, focusing on Adobe Creative Cloud tools and the creative process. You will learn from Tufts faculty and professional designers, covering areas like marketing, communications, and photo editing.
Location: Danforth Art Museum and Art School, Framingham, MA
Cost: $510; scholarships are available.
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until all slots are filled.
Program Dates: August 5–August 9
Eligibility: Students enrolled in grades 9–12 can apply.
Danforth Art School provides art classes designed for high school students. These three-hour sessions for teens are taught by professional artists and college instructors. In the "Fashion Design Intensive" class, you will learn the techniques and tools needed to create and present a cohesive fashion collection. You will engage in brainstorming activities to develop a creative direction using mood boards, explore color theory and textiles, and incorporate fabric swatches and various media. By the end of the course, you will have created an original, well-presented fashion collection while also learning basic sewing and patternmaking to develop a garment pattern for one of your designs. The class covers fashion history and key industry concepts, such as trend forecasting.
Location: Montserrat College of Art, Beverly, MA
Cost: Residential: $4,200 | Commuter: $3,200 + a $40 non-refundable application fee. Scholarships are available.
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until space remains available.
Program Dates: July 13 – August 2
Eligibility: High school students aged 16 and older can apply.
Montserrat College of Art’s three-week summer residential Pre-College Program offers high school students an introduction to life at an art college. During the program, you will receive focused instruction in visual arts, with a strong emphasis on foundation drawing skills. You will also explore new subjects and mediums through elective courses. Each morning, you will take a Foundation course, choosing between Foundation Drawing or Foundation Digital & Interactive Media. You’ll earn three college credits and receive written evaluations from each instructor. Modeled after the college’s BFA program, the Pre-College Program provides small class sizes and personalized attention from faculty.
Location: In-person at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston, MA, or online.
Cost: $960 for half-day classes | $1,920 for full-day classes | $870 per online class.
Application Deadline: On an availability basis from February 16 – June 15
Program Dates: July 8– July 19
Eligibility: High school students entering grades 10–12 can apply.
MassArt’s Summer Intensives allow high school students to expand their artistic skills through two-week studio courses. The program provides a range of on-campus and virtual classes, allowing you to explore animation, architecture, drawing, photography, jewelry, painting, and printmaking. For example, the Animation Toolkit explores stop-motion and digital tools, while Drawing Fundamentals covers perspective, proportion, and unconventional techniques. You can also develop your portfolios through courses like Film Photography, which includes experience with 35mm cameras and darkroom techniques, and Illustration, which offers virtual instruction in visual communication.
Location: In-person at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA, or online.
Cost: Unspecified. Check here for updates.
Application Deadline: Registration for summer classes ends at noon on the Friday before the class is scheduled to start
Program Dates: TBD.
Eligibility: Students aged 12–17 can register.
The Museum of Fine Arts offers studio art classes for teens ages 12–17 led by professional artists. These classes encourage you to explore, experiment, and develop problem-solving skills as you engage with art-making. During the summer, you will meet weekly in-person or online and focus on subjects such as drawing, painting, mixed media, and more. With access to the museum’s extensive collections, you will have the opportunity to study the techniques and approaches of artists from various cultures and periods. To ensure individualized attention, class sizes are limited to 12 students, accommodating all skill levels.
Location: Boston University College of Fine Arts, Charles River Campus, Boston, MA
Cost: Residential: $6,030–$6,234 | Commuter: $3,950 + a $75 application fee; Scholarships are available.
Application Deadline: March 15
Program Dates: June 30–July 26
Eligibility: High school students aged 15–18 can apply.
The Boston University School of Visual Arts Summer Institute (VASI) offers a focused visual arts program for high school students, aimed at building portfolios and enhancing technical skills. During the program, you will be introduced to materials and methods used in professional artistic practice and gain experience in a collegiate art school setting.
Along with studio work and classes, you will visit local museums, engage in special workshops, and experience campus life at Boston University. Upon completion, you will earn three college credits and leave with work suitable for inclusion in your portfolios. The program is taught by faculty members and alumni of the School of Visual Arts.
One other option—the Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you’re interested in pursuing independent research, consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, selective online high school programs for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4,000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.
Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!
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 where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.