2022 TMS Students meet with Sukanya Mani to discuss the installation of her work. Photo: CAM staff.
2022 TMS Students meet with Sukanya Mani to discuss the installation of her work. Photo: CAM staff.

Teen Museum Studies

Teen Museum Studies (TMS) is a summer intensive internship that engages high school students in direct exposure to museum careers, develops collaboration and critical thinking skills, and offers the chance to select and work with a St. Louis-based artist to organize an exhibition that premieres at CAM in September.

For students interested in professional development in the arts beyond artmaking, TMS is a great opportunity for teens to develop writing skills, hands-on experience working with artists, and a curatorial skillset.

An essential part of TMS is the involvement of local artists. We seek artist proposals for an exhibition in CAM’s Education Galleries to be juried by the TMS interns.

2024 program

  • TMS runs from June 5–July 19, 2024 on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 2:00–4:00 pm.
  • There are extended hours required for jurying from 2:00–5:00 pm on June 12–14 and June 19–21.
  • The program will also include a field trip that will require students to be dropped off and picked up at an offsite location.

Intern applications are now closed. The artist exhibition application is open through June 3 at 11:59 pm CT.

Exhibition opening: September 6, 2024

2022 Teen Museum Studies Cohort. Photo: CAM staff.

TMS Student Intern Application

  • This program is for high school students in the St. Louis metro area.
  • Applications will be reviewed by the Learning & Engagement team. Preference will be given to a balanced TMS cohort: equal representation of repeat with new participants, participants with some art background with those seeking to gain art knowledge, and diversity of ages, gender, and racial identities.
  • The 2024 cohort will be capped at 13.
  • Public transportation reimbursement is available for travel to and from the museum.
  • Selected students are expected to attend all sessions from June 5–July 19, 2024 on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 2:00–4:00 pm. There are extended hours required for jurying from 2:00–5:00 pm on June 12–14 and June 19–21.
  • Students who successfully complete the entire program will receive a $400 stipend.

The 2024 internship applications are now closed.

For more information, please email Brandon Barr, Teen and Adult Programs Manager at bbarr@camstl.org

<em>Ruth Reese: Metamorphosis</em>, installation view, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, September 8, 2023 - February 11, 2024. Photo: Dusty Kessler

Artist Proposals

An essential part of Teen Museum Studies is the involvement of local artists. We seek proposals for an exhibition in CAM’s Education Galleries, which will be organized by Teen Museum Studies students each summer. The artist selected receives a $1,500 stipend, and their exhibition is part of CAM’s season opening in the fall.

Artists selected for Teen Museum Studies are still eligible for the Great Rivers Biennial.

Learn More & Apply