Art Internships in Philadelphia: Launching Your Creative Career

Philadelphia, a city steeped in history and brimming with artistic energy, offers a fertile ground for aspiring artists and designers. The city's vibrant cultural scene, coupled with its numerous institutions and organizations dedicated to the arts, provides a wealth of opportunities for students and emerging professionals seeking to gain practical experience through internships. These internships serve as invaluable stepping stones, bridging the gap between academic learning and real-world application, and ultimately launching successful careers in the creative sector.

The Philadelphia Advantage: A Hub for Arts, Culture, and Design

Philadelphia stands out as a prime location for art internships due to its robust professional communities in the arts, culture, and design. This environment allows interns to not only build experience but also forge strong career connections through internships and residencies. For students at institutions like the Tyler School of Art and Architecture at Temple University, the city becomes an extension of the classroom, offering unparalleled access to resources and opportunities. Tyler School of Art and Architecture students leverage the faculty and resources of Temple University to start their own businesses, find their dream jobs-locally and all over the world-or begin focused study in the most competitive graduate programs.

Finding the Right Internship: Resources and Opportunities

Navigating the landscape of art internships can be daunting, but Philadelphia offers several resources to streamline the process.

The W.H.A.T. (What's Happening At Tyler) Newsletter: This bi-weekly newsletter provides current listings of internships and other opportunities, keeping students informed about the latest openings.
Handshake: Temple University's online career management platform, Handshake, is a one-stop shop for students and alumni. It allows users to apply for positions, explore companies, build connections, and sign up for career fairs and workshops.
Creative Philadelphia: Formerly the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, this organization supports artists and cultural organizations by providing and promoting artist opportunities and resources year-round.

Internship Examples: A Glimpse into Possibilities

The range of art internships available in Philadelphia is vast, catering to diverse interests and skill sets. Here are a few examples:

Bryn Mawr Film Institute Internship: The Bryn Mawr Film Institute seeks an intern for the 2026 Summer Filmmaking Workshop.
Walnut Street Theatre Apprentice Program: Walnut Street Theatre, a LORT-A producing theatre in Philadelphia, PA, is seeking applicants for its 2026-2027 Apprentice Program. For over 35 years, the Walnut’s Apprentice Program has provided rigorous, hands-on training to early-career theatre professionals.
Please Touch Museum Garden Intern: The Garden Intern is an important part of supporting healthy living at PTM and will work within the Exhibits Department to help maintain, improve, and interpret the Please Touch Garden.
DiasporaDNA Story Center Internships: DiasporaDNA Story Center (DDSC) is seeking educators and teaching artists to join its inaugural Spring 2026 Education Advisory Council (EAC). The Communications & Content Creator Intern is a hands-on, creative role supporting DiasporaDNA Story Center’s storytelling, digital presence, and community engagement.
Programming Intern at a Live Art Venue: The Programming Intern will assist the Programming Department in meeting the individual and logistical needs of presented and independent artists. This position is ideal for someone with experience in events programming and artist relations, with an interest in contemporary live art on a local and international scale.

Moore College of Art & Design: Integrating Internships into Education

Moore College of Art & Design recognizes the pivotal role of internships in shaping successful careers. The college requires students to complete the equivalent of a six-week full-time internship and present their experience to faculty, accompanied by a self-reflective essay in an internship journal. Moore's network of alumnae and employers aids in recommending and offering internships, many of which transition into full-time careers. The Locks Career Center staff assists students in identifying and securing suitable internships, providing support with resume development, business correspondence, and mock interviews. Internship placements must be pre-approved by the department chair and faculty supervisor and a signed contract must be filed with the Locks Career Center before the internship starts. The staff works closely with the faculty teaching the required internship preparation courses, providing a systematic approach for your search for an internship host site.

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Activating the City: Opportunities Beyond Traditional Internships

Philadelphia's commitment to the arts extends beyond traditional internships, creating unique opportunities for artists to engage with the city and its residents.

Avenue of the Arts Performances: Avenue of the Arts seeks performers - musicians, singers, dancers, jugglers, magicians, mimes, poets, etc. - to activate South Broad St. in the evenings to create excitement and engage visitors in the arts.
Art in City Hall: This exhibits program transforms the public corridors of City Hall into a platform for the arts, providing an opportunity for Philadelphia’s diverse cultural organizations to present their artistic expressions and utilize the visual arts to amplify community voices, foster healing and community dialogue in the most important civic building in the city - The People’s Building.

Financial Support: Scholarships and Grants

Financial constraints should not be a barrier to pursuing valuable internship experiences. Tyler School of Art and Architecture, along with Temple University, offers scholarship and grant opportunities to alleviate the financial burden and allow students to focus on their professional development.

PA Council on the Arts’ Creative Sector Flex Fund (CSFF): This fund supports eligible Pennsylvania arts organizations with average annual revenue between $10,000 - $200,000, providing support for consistent artistic programming and arts services.
William Penn Foundation’s Arts and Culture grants: The William Penn Foundation supports organizations and projects that work to ensure people and communities across Greater Philadelphia have the opportunity to benefit from inclusive, diverse, and high-quality public spaces and arts and culture experiences.

Career Support: Navigating the Path to Success

Beyond internship placements, Philadelphia institutions offer comprehensive career support services to help students and alumni navigate their professional journeys.

Tyler School of Art and Architecture Career Coaching: Career coaching at Tyler helps students explore career possibilities in the arts and built environment, with support on résumés, interviews, job searches, and more.
Temple University Career Center: Temple’s Career Center offers even more tools to empower students to find pathways to future success through comprehensive career development services.

Joining the Creative Community: Opportunities for Individuals and Organizations

Philadelphia's commitment to the arts extends to both individual artists and arts organizations.

FOR ORGANIZATIONS: Arts and culture organizations and agencies can find up-to-date news and resources to support their work.FOR INDIVIDUALS: Artists and creative workers can access resources and opportunities to advance their careers.

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The Print Center: Fostering Diversity and Inclusion

The Print Center exemplifies a commitment to diversity and inclusion in the arts. The Print Center values diversity in staffing, leadership, the programming we present and the range of communities with which we engage. The Print Center offers structured training in arts administration, curatorial work, gallery management and gallery sales to undergraduate and graduate students who, in turn, earn valuable college credit. Gallery Assistant Interns assist our small, team-oriented staff with day-to-day operations. They learn fundamentals of fundraising, promotion and audience relations while assisting with daily organizational tasks and preparations for special events. The Print Center’s Bradford Paid Internship Program creates a supportive pathway for BIPOC students to explore and advance in the arts. The Program is named in honor of Blake Bradford, who was a longstanding Board member of The Print Center and was integral in conceiving the internship.

Making a Difference: Art as a Catalyst for Change

Philadelphia recognizes the power of art to transform communities and individuals. Mural Arts Philadelphia, for example, is a public-private partnership dedicated to the belief that art ignites change. Mural Arts Philadelphia creates art with others to transform places, individuals, communities and institutions.

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