\ Summer Portfolio Intensive

\ the Intensive

This summer, Youth Design Center invites high school students to East Brooklyn for a one-week creative intensive designed to help them build stronger art and design portfolios while exploring their creative voice.

Over five immersive days, students will move through a complete creative process: 

  • Developing a concept;

  • Experimenting with analog and digital tools; 

  • Producing original work; 

  • Documenting their projects, and 

  • Learning how to present their ideas with confidence.

The Summer Portfolio Intensive: Create, Document, Curate, Present guides students through a complete creative cycle, from idea development to final presentation. Within analog and digital disciplines, students will receive feedback from professional artists and designers, and learn how to document and present their work in a polished, portfolio-ready format.

  • Grades: Rising 9th–12th grade students

  • Schedule: August 10th-14th

    • Monday–Friday, 10:00 AM–6:00 PM

  • Tuition: $999

  • Includes: Lunch, materials, museum visit, documentation, showcase

  • Cohort Size: 10 students max

  • Location: Youth Design Center

This program is a strong fit for students interested in:

  • Art and design school preparation

  • Architecture and spatial design

  • Fashion and textiles

  • Graphic design and illustration

  • Animation and digital art

  • Fine art, drawing, painting, and sculpture

  • Creative career exploration

Students do not need to arrive with a completed portfolio. The intensive is designed to support students at different stages, whether they are starting fresh, refining existing work, or preparing for future college applications.

What Students Will Do

During the week, students will also:

  • Visit a museum to study curation and visual storytelling

  • Learn how to photograph and document artwork

  • Curate their work for presentation

  • Practice critique and artist statements

  • Present their final work in a family/community showcase

What’s Included

Tuition includes instruction, materials, daily lunch, museum visit, professional documentation of student work, and the final showcase experience.

FAQ

Does my child need to have portfolio-ready work?
No. Students do not need to arrive with portfolio-ready work. This program is designed to help students develop new work, strengthen existing ideas, and learn how to document, curate, and present their creative projects. Students should come with curiosity, a willingness to experiment, and an interest in art or design.

Does this guarantee that my child will be accepted into a college of their choice?

No. Participation in this program does not guarantee admission to any college, university, or specific art/design program. Admissions decisions depend on many factors, including the student’s full application, grades, essays, recommendations, portfolio requirements, and the selectivity of each school.

What kinds of projects will students make?

Students will work across both analog and digital formats. Projects may include drawing, painting, sculpture, design studies, digital illustration, graphic design, fashion or textile concepts, animation studies, and/or mixed-media portfolio pieces.

What makes this different from a regular art class?

The Summer Portfolio Intensive is focused on the full creative cycle: concept development, experimentation, production, documentation, curation, and presentation. Students are not just making art — they are learning how to think, work, and present like artists and designers.

Will parents get to see the final work?

Yes. The week ends with a final showcase where students present their work to family and invited community members, and get to hear from industry professionals about their creative paths and careers.

Need-Based Scholarship

A limited number of need-based scholarships may be available for eligible participants. Scholarship support is not guaranteed and will be reviewed based on available funding, family need, and program capacity.

Families interested in scholarship support should indicate their interest during registration or contact Youth Design Center for more information.

REGISTER HERE