How to hire an art internship

How to hire an art internship, step by step

Here's a step-by-step art internship hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an art internship job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new art internship
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The art internship hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An art internship's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, art interns from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents art internship salaries for various positions.

   Type of Art Internship	Description	Hourly rate
   Art Internship	Recreational therapists plan, direct, and coordinate recreation-based treatment programs for people with disabilities, injuries, or illnesses. Recreational therapists use a variety of modalities, including arts and crafts, drama, music, dance, sports, games, and community reintegration field trips to help maintain or improve a patient’s physical, social, and emotional well-being.	$10-18
   Bereavement Program Coordinator	A bereavement program coordinator is in charge of organizing and coordinating services to help families deal with a loved one's death or illness. Among their responsibilities include offering counseling sessions, assisting families in arranging a funeral and memorial service, referring them to other agencies, and helping them understand additional important information... Show more	$19-30
   Counselor/Art Therapist	A counselor/art therapist is responsible for conducting art sessions as part of patients' therapy treatments, letting them express their human nature and emotions through artistic discovery. Counselors/art therapists guide the patients throughout their recovery process, identifying their needs and conditions by analyzing their crafts... Show more	$26-52

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Family Therapy
   • Art Therapy Sessions
   • Individual Therapy Sessions
   • Mental Health
   • Adobe Photoshop
   • Substance Abuse
   • Indesign
   • Mental Illness
   • Open Studio
   • Group Therapy Sessions
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Art Therapy
   • Co-Lead
   • Art Projects

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead art therapy group for older adults experiencing later stages of dementia and Alzheimer's.
   • Manage Facebook account composing creative content for daily posts to increase audience engagement
   • Prepare for, co-lead, and document client progress for multiple art therapy groups.
   • Conduct and co-lead several art groups with adolescent boys.
   • Provide training for federal and public organizations regarding the psychological aspects of veterans having experience combat or military sexual trauma.
   • Diagnose and treat clients using DSM criteria.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your art internship job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An art internship can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, art interns' average salary in louisiana is 47% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level art interns 44% less than senior-level art interns.
   • Certifications. An art internship with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an art internship's salary.

   Average art internship salary

   $14.21hourly

   $29,567 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level art internship salary

   $22,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

4. Writing an art internship job description

   An art internship job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of an art internship job description:

   Art internship job description example

   One River School of Art & Design , a company whose mission is to "transform art education," is looking for creative interns who are interested in learning about art education, art administration and entrepreneurship during the summer 2022 program.

   One River has developed a new method for teaching art that makes it fun to learn while also producing compelling outcomes. We teach a variety of proprietary classes to students of all ages that builds proficiency in drawing, painting, sculpture, mixed media and cartooning, manga, design, illustration, animation and more. Our studios are state of the art and you will find that interning at One River is a completely different experience than any other art program in the country. We are simply the best place to work in the arts and are building a differentiated working experience for art educators and art lovers.

   The ideal candidate will have a strong interest in contemporary art and progressive art education and be highly motivated to work in a fast paced and entrepreneurial environment. Our internship program is designed for current students and recent graduates who want to acquire skills for a career in the arts. Training and guidance will be provided by One River's management and education team. Internships are unpaid.

   Qualifications / Requirements:

   • Able to commit to 2 days per week for a 10-week program between June and August 2022
   • Currently enrolled or recently graduated from a four-year college or university
   • Studying in the fields of Art Education, Art History, Fine Art, Illustration, Design or Animation
   • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
   • A passion for One River School's mission

   One River provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

   This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find art interns for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your art internship job on Zippia to find and attract quality art internship candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit art interns, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new art internship

   Once you have selected a candidate for the art internship position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new art internship. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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