Teen Artist Internship Program (TAIP)

New Bedford Art Museum /ArtWorks! is celebrating its 19th year of the Teen Artist Internship Program (TAIP) in 2023.  TAIP’s goal is to inspire and educate high school juniors and seniors interested in pursuing a career in the visual arts.

2023 Application

Please download and complete the following forms to apply.

Questions? Need more details? Email mborge[email protected]

Important Dates for 2023 Applicants

  • December 31, 2022 –- All student applications due

  • February 8, 2023 –- Notifications

  • February 15, 2023 –- Virtual Welcome Meeting - 4PM-5PM

  • February 22, 2023 - April 20, 2023 –- Program runs. Artists and students set their own meeting schedule, a minimum of 4hrs/week for 9 weeks.

  • May 18, 2023 - June 16, 2023 –- Exhibit runs.

  • Saturday, May 20, 2023 –- Opening Reception – 12PM-3PM

Artist Mentors

We are looking for local artists who would enjoy the opportunity to share their studio space and mentor a young person with a passion for the arts. If you’d like to be considered, please download, fill out, and return all of the application materials linked below.

The Program

The Teen Artist Internship Program (TAIP) is an exciting opportunity for young, talented, artists from local schools to connect and gain hands-on mentorship from established, professional artists from the greater New Bedford Area.

The artist mentors introduce their students to other artists and help connect them with the art community they aspire to join. Acceptance into the free program, which draws students from various SouthCoast schools, is competitive, and teens must submit an application, essay, and recommendation. Each year, the program culminates in an exhibition of work by the interns and their mentors.

Through multiple engagements with the teens in their own studio space, the artist mentors are able to guide and instruct the students in the technical and professional aspects of creating and exhibiting art, such as learning how to frame and hang their work in a gallery setting.  In addition, the mentors are able to expose the teens to new materials and processes, such as print-making, oil painting, or sculpture that they may not have access to through other means. Along with the opportunity to try new media and techniques and to sharpen their art skills, the teens also learn about day-to-day studio practice and the self-discipline being an artist requires.

Our 2022 program is supported by the Barr Foundation and by the following Local Cultural Councils: Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Freetown, and New Bedford, which are supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.