Art Gap Year Programs

What is your muse? Is it your furry friend? Nature? The person in the photo that hangs above your workspace? Have you ever thought about another destination in the world being your unlimited source of inspiration? Alright, alright….of course you have, but have you ever seriously considered taking a gap year to take a gap year abroad to indulge and feed your creative side in the wildest possible way? Gather your favorite art supplies quick and let’s find gap year art course programs!

Featured Provider of the Month

Discover who you are on the ultimate gap adventure! Sail the world!
with Seamester Study Abroad at Sea

30 Art Gap Year Programs

00 reviews

The Intern Group

Gap Year Internships Abroad

We provide internships in Europe, North America, Asia, Australia,...

9.577 reviews

Institute for Global Studies

Arts and Culture Internship (Cultural Museum)

IGS has placed students in some of the world’s most exciting muse...

See All 5 Programs

9.8312 reviews

GoEco - Top Volunteer Organization

South Africa - Cape Town Community Projects

Meet the amazing people who call the settlements surrounding Cape...

See All 3 Programs

9.717 reviews

Go Abroad China Ltd.

High School Language & Cultural Immersion in China for Teens

Discover China Through Language & CultureFounded in 2003, Go Abro...

00 reviews

Wanderlust Exchange

Language Immersion Winter & Summer Camp

As China reopens its borders to tourists, we invite young people ...

9.867 reviews

The High Desert Center

High Desert Center Writing Retreat

The purpose of the Writing Retreat is to support budding writers ...

00 reviews

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Study Abroad at UAB: GAP Semester/Year

91 reviews

Volunteer World

Best Volunteer Programs in Tanzania

Tanzania is a prime example of what most people expect when they ...

See All 3 Programs

9.910 reviews

Volunteer International Adventures

Teach at Township Schools in South Africa

Teach at local community schools in Knysna, South Africa, in this...

9.3611 reviews

Academic Programs International

API: Experience Paris, France (Scholarships Available)

Immerse yourself in French culture and the way of life in Paris, ...

00 reviews

Where There Be Dragons

Japan: Arts, Food, & Culture (6-Week Gap Year)

From the tranquil chime of a meditation bell in a Koyasan monaste...

See All 2 Programs

9.25 reviews

Art History Abroad

Summer Courses in Italy (2-4-7 weeks)

AHA’s summer courses are for keen travelers, curious students, an...

See All 4 Programs

00 reviews

Baret Scholars

Baret Scholars Gap Year Program

Before and beyond college, Baret Scholars explores 7 regions of t...

00 reviews

Cow House Studios

Gap Year Art Program at Cow House Studios, Ireland

Discover your creative potential with our Gap Year Art Program Co...

9.9212 reviews

Volunteering Journeys

Teaching, Women Empowerment, Medical & Disabled Care - India

Our Volunteer programs in India are based in Kerala, Southern Ind...

Popular Providers

Medjet

Insurance gets you to the nearest hospital. Medjet can get you HO...

CIEE High School Grads Abroad

Experience the world before college on a Gap year abroad with CIE...

Latest Program Reviews

So educational and unique

January 04, 2025by: Alexis Barcombe - United KingdomProgram: 6-week Spring India Course

I had a great time with Art History Abroad in India and I would recommend it. I am happy I chose to go with a course as I think I got more out of India with the help of the tutors and local guides. I would recommend this course to anyone with a desire for learning and adventure!

So educational and unique

January 04, 2025by: Alexis Barcombe - United KingdomProgram: 6-week Spring India Course

Worth every moment!

January 04, 2025by: Sean Robertson - United KingdomProgram: 6-week Spring India Course

On this trip, I learnt, tasted, walked, talked, made friends and experienced so many things. Thanks AHA for enabling and guiding me and my course mates through the wonderful country that India is. I hope to join another one of your courses ,whether in India or Europe, soon!

A Guide to Art Gap Year Programs

Popular locations

Everywhere in the world can be a destination for artistic inspiration… but where should you go if you want to learn from the best and develop your skills as an artist?

Spain. Really? Here? YES! Spain was once a muse to both Salvador Dali AND Pablo Picasso. No wonder, Spain is as colorful and flavorful as a kaleidoscope feast. Enroll in a gap year art course program in Spain to live amongst a culture who values pleasure as a daily necessity. You can find gap year art programs along the coast and paint your picturesque cliffside sunset or find a program inland that calls to you to sculpt the Pyrenees profile.

Italy. Work at next year’s fashion week in the cultural congestion or take a bus ride out to the sunflower-laden hills and live in a place where the distant birds, whispering wind, and your very breath are the loudest things. Either way, taking a gap year art course program in the remnants of the Italian Renaissance won’t hurt your art career. Take a gap year in Rome or Florence and work with museums to develop their outreach programs or even lead museum tours in one of the 44 UNESCO World Heritage sites. Magnifico!

Brazil. South America isn’t usually initially thought of when people think of “art,” but that needs to change ASAP. Why? Brazil, in particular, is weaved with all styles of artistic expression. Dancing is embraced at all hours of the day and night. Musical performances extend from the private comforts of a home to group masterpieces along the streets in neighborhoods. Theatre masterpieces ripple out of production studios into the rest of the town. And lastly, photography captures the best of landscapes ranging from the Amazon rainforest to island-studded coastlines. Wow, right? What a perfect place for an art gap year program!

Everything else you need to know about gap year art course programs

Costs. All the countries listed above generally have costs of living comparably to living the U.S. (I know, I know. Even living the U.S. varies extensively). Want to make money fast for your gap year? Share your dreams and plans for taking a gap year on FundMyTravel to crowdsource some extra dough before you head out on your journey. Save up as much as you can before you leave to study art abroad so that when you need to purchase a new memory card, a new brush, or a box to ship back all your creations you can do so without worrying.

Accommodations. Most art gap year programs with set you up to live in dorms or a nearby apartment building, depending on what environment you stay. Drawn to the center of the city? Expect an apartment. Planning your destination in a more remote area? You might end up staying with a host family, with other gappers in a shared living situation, or in a dorm with one other aspiring artist like you!

Visas. Ahhh, sweet visas. Nearly everyone needs this special document to be able to stay in a country for a gap year. Don’t be frazzled, the GoAbroad embassy directory is here to help to get what you need way ahead of time before you embark to study art abroad.

Safety. Cultural norms vary all across the world. If safety is a huge concern for you, speak with your program provider in the beginning to see what measures are already in place for them to help you if something goes wrong. Most of the time, travelers are overly cautious in a foreign land and have a more impervious experience abroad than at home!

GoAbroad’s Inside Scoop

Surrender to the experience abroad. This means that you trust that you made the best decision for you at this time and you’ll let yourself be taken away by new situations (within reason, let’s not be careless) and learn things you didn’t know were possible.

How can you make the most out of your art course gap year experience? Pack lightly and start your trip with a blank canvas. Let your art consume you and paint your reality when you are living abroad. Leave yourself enough space to bring home your masterpieces, invest in another suitcase, or find places to donate your work. They would make great Thank You gifts to those that helped you along your way or meaningful souvenirs to your friends waiting for you back at home.