The application for the 2025 High School Summer Art Intensive: Curating Fashion is now open!
Apply TodayMore than an education, New York University’s High School Summer Art Intensive: Curating Fashion is an experience!
This two-week summer program introduces high school students to the creative process of staging a fashion exhibition. Students will be asked to do research in fashion history, engage in close examination of fashion pieces, design an exhibition space, and narrate an original story of fashion for a public audience. The program is designed for high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors interested in the field of fashion studies and who want to explore its potential professional pathways.
Goals for Our Students
- Practice strategies of collaborative work and active listening.
- Improve understanding of the social, cultural, and political impact of fashion.
- Explore garment research practices by analyzing textiles, design, and construction within historical, cultural, and ethical contexts. Develop skills to interpret garments as cultural artifacts and creative expressions.
- Discuss fashion exhibitions and items thoughtfully, showing a clear understanding of how fashion is created, presented, and used in different ways.
- Increase awareness of the ethical questions raised by curation practices.
Student Experience
Students will work directly with faculty from Steinhardt's MA program in Costume Studies who bring a level of expertise in the field that only NYU can offer.
Founded in 1979, this program was the first curriculum in the United States to train specialists in interpreting and managing clothing and accessories collections in museums and private collections.
Since then, costume, fashion, and textile studies have expanded into an exciting area of interdisciplinary research spanning material and visual culture, historical methods, and cultural theory.
We expect students to engage with their coursework rigorously to create ambitious work beyond a scope they may have previously explored at the high school level while learning about the New York world of contemporary fashion exhibition.
Students will leave the two-week experience with a close-knit community of fellow fashion enthusiasts and an understanding of the critical study and display of fashion in museums and gallery settings. The program will culminate in an exhibition held in the Commons and Rosenberg galleries in NYU's Barney Building.
This NYU Pre-College Program combines in-studio workshops complemented by visits from guest speakers, historians, curators, and exhibition designers and class visits to museums across the New York City region.
After thorough research, the students will set up a group-curated exhibition that critically engages with the pieces selected from the Costume Studies study collection.
This is a non-residential program. Housing in an NYU Student Residence Hall within walking distance of the Barney Building, our studio art facility in the East Village, is optional for this program. More information about summer housing for students who are interested will be available with the application.
The class will meet Monday–Friday, from 10:00 AM–4:05 PM. Students will break for lunch from 12:05–2:00 PM.
Admitted Students and their respective parents/guardians must review the Student Handbook and complete the mandatory forms linked within the handbook. The Student Handbook includes information about NYU's Residential Rules and Policies for high school students.
Who Can Apply
How to Apply
Costume Intensive applicants must complete an online application.
Financial Aid Applicant & International Student Deadline: March 15, 2025
Final Deadline: April 11, 2025
Notification: Applicants will receive notification of acceptance starting April 15.
Program Dates: July 6–18, 2025
High school students ages 15 – 18 going into their Sophomore (10th), Junior (11th), or Senior (12th) year.
With only 18 slots, this program seeks to create a close-knit community of established and beginner creatives.
International Students are welcome and encouraged to apply. Proof of English language proficiency is required as well as an F-1 Visa (Ex. TOEFL 100 or higher score). Details on how to submit this information will be provided through the application process.
Scholarships Are Available!
More information is sent to those who have submitted an online application. We encourage applicants who want to be considered for scholarships to apply by the March 1 Financial Aid Applicant deadline.
2025 Program Costs
Tuition: $2,600
On-campus housing and dining are available at an additional cost; admitted students will receive more information about those services.
Deposits and Refunds: A $500 non-refundable deposit is due when you confirm your enrollment into the program. If the program is canceled before the start of the program, there will be full tuition and deposit refunds. Refunds will not be given if the program has begun and the applicant has been fully enrolled.
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For more information, please contact art-dept-summer-art-intensive@nyu.edu.
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Accepted applicants will receive further information and access in the form of emails. Please be patient during the processing of applications.
We encourage prospective students to look at this site to get a sense of life on campus, program details, and events offered through NYU.
*Please note some information may be updated closer to the program's start date. -
Learn more about NYU's programs for high school students by attending an info session and joining the mailing list!
Some proceeds from the NYU Summer Art Intensive will be used for scholarships for the Department of Art and Art Professions.