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Portfolio Review Day



The Senior Portfolio Day is a chance for high school age artists to meet with Visual Art Representatives from Universities, Colleges, and Art Schools across the state.  It will be held on Saturday, January 12, 2013 from 9:00 a.m. through 3:00 p.m. at the Springville Museum of Art.  Over the years this program has helped students to be accepted into various art programs as well as receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in art scholarships and financial aid.

Held in conjunction with the All-State High School Show, Portfolio Day has become an important event where not only for students but also for educators and artists. High school students get exposure, receive a feel for different universities, and plan for their future. Professors and artists from institutions across the state come together to network and reflect on the role of visuals art in higher education, and vice versa. SMA has become recognized as a leading supporter to the younger generation of artists in Utah through events such as this.
  
To make an appointment call Jessica Weiss at (801)489-2727 after January 2nd, 2013.  Each student is allowed to make appointments with up to three different schools for 15 minutes each, they are first come first serve. Please arrive 10 minutes early. If you’re willing to stick around there is potential to meet with extra schools whose schedule did not fill up completely. Please note that this event is open to current high school seniors only. Students currently in their junior year and high school graduates are not eligble for this program.  
 


Who to Expect

The following schools were represented at Portfolio Day last year:  
Art Institute of Salt Lake City
Brigham Young University – Provo
Brigham Young University – Idaho
Center for Academic Study and Naturalist Painting
College of Eastern Utah
Dixie State College
Snow College
Salt Lake Community College
Southern Utah University
University of Utah
Utah State University
Utah Valley University
Weber State University
Westminster College
 
 
Advice for Applicants

Dress for Success
The clothes you wear give your first impression to the school representatives. That being the case, you’ll want to dress professionally. Some of you may wonder what that really means. For the guys, you should wear nice slacks and a clean dress shirt. Girls, a skirt or dress pants with a nice shirt will do. Keep it simple, while you want to show your personality and style, you don’t want to go overboard.

Your hair should be neat and clean. Try to keep it out of your face. And ladies, keep your makeup simple; natural colors are best. Now that you’re looking presentable, be sure to sit up straight and be attentive. When you slouch you look bored. You’re intelligent and talented, so make sure the School representatives see that.

Come Prepared
The purpose of a portfolio is to show the School’s Art Representatives a sample of your current work. Include your best and most recent works. Unless it’s a sketch book, include only finished artwork. A good portfolio should have continuity and provide viewers with a clear idea as to what your vision is. It should be organized by subjects or different photographic styles. It’s important to keep in mind who will be looking at your portfolio and for what purpose, so be ready to answer questions about your art. 


Frequently Asked Questions
 
What are they looking for in me as an artist?
“Have an idea of where you want to go with your work.”
                -Morgan Nelson, Hein Academy of Art
“Show us work that represents who you are as an artist, and not work that your teachers guided.”
                -Jessica Curran, Salt Lake Community College
 
“The ability to self-edit and be critical of ones work. Being able to speak about the ideas behind the work are key. I don't want to hear 'My teacher assigned me to do this...' I want to hear why they were intrigued by the idea, and about what made it important to them."     
-Jeffrey Hanson, Southern Utah University

 What should I include in my portfolio?
“Bring only your best and highest quality work. Only high quality reproductions if you do not bring originals.”
                -Adam Larsen, Snow College
“Sketchbooks! Professors love to see the thinking process.”
                -Danielle Tolman, Snow College
“Present more original work. References are okay, but only if I see a student activity seeking to study.”
                -Katie Liddiard, Center for Academic Study
“Passion and determined effort.”
                -Ryan Brown, Center for Academic Study
“I want to see more drawings from life and a personal area of focus.”
                -Peter Everett, Brigham Young University
“Diverse in genres (i.e. not just portraits). Experimentation."
                -Amanda Beardsley, University of Utah
"Examples of individual artistic style, vision, and concepts."                        
-Justin Kunz, Brigham Young University
"Life drawings, commercial art, photography, film/video animation."
                -Zac Elliott, Art Institute of Salt Lake City

How much of my art should I bring?
“I would encourage students to bring only their best work, not work from Jr. High. They should bring 10-15 of their best work not 30 of different quality.”
                -Trudy Richardson, Salt Lake Community College
“More is not necessarily better.”
-Rich Briggse, BYU- Idaho
“We really only need to see a few pieces to see what a student ability is.”
                -David Belka, BYU- Idaho
“Don’t bring everything. Only bring the best. That may be ten pieces for some students, while others may have about 15.”                       
-Glen Blakley, Dixie State College
“Quality is more important than quantity. I encourage students to edit their portfolios, realizing that they will be judged on their poorest work as well as their best."
- Arlene Braithwaite, Southern Utah University
 
How should I present my art?
“A portable portfolio is easier to flip through.”
                -Scott Allred Snow College
“I liked seeing the sketchbooks several students brought – nicely matted and well-presented portfolio pieces are a joy to review.”
                -Robert Barrett Brigham Young University
“Presentation, I was very impressed with students that had matted and framed their work. It looks more professional and more put together.”
                -Nadia Morales Westminster College
“Create a digital portfolio on a CD to leave with University Representatives.”
               -Noel Carmack USU Eastern
 

Still have questions? Contact Jessica Weiss at (801)489-2727. 
 
May 20, 2013
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