| Who to Expect The following schools will be represented at Portfolio Day this year: Beaux-Arts Academy Brigham Young University – Department of Art Brigham Young University – Department of Design Dixie State University The Masters Academy of Art Salt Lake Community College Snow College Southern Utah University Southern Virginia University University of Utah USU Eastern - Price Campus Utah State University Utah Valley University Weber State University Westminster College Advice for that Day Plan your time appropriately Please arrive 10 minutes early. It takes a few minutes to check in, and you will want a few minutes to orient yourself before your first appointment. Additionally, you don't have to limit yourself to just 5 schools. Many of the schools will be taking walk-in interviews, and we encourage you to speak with as many different schools as possible. The more feedback you get, the stronger your portfolio can eventually be. Plan to explore the event for an hour or two so you can talk to several additional representatives. Dress for Success Your clothing will play part in the first impression you give to school representatives. In your meetings, you will want to present a confident and professional appearance and show who you are! It may be helpful to view these meetings as similar to job interviews, so come dressed as you would for that. Some general guidelines:
Come Prepared The purpose of a portfolio is to show a school’s art representatives a sample of your current work. Include your best and most recent works. Unless it’s a sketchbook, 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 styles. You will be asked to explain your work. Think carefully about each piece you include in your portfolio so that you are prepared to answer questions about your process, inspiration, and goals. If there are schools you are specifically interested in attending, do some research beforehand. What questions do you have? This is your chance to get answers directly from professors, students, or admissions reps from these schools. See the guidebook above to get some general information about each school that will be in attendance at Portfolio Review Day. Don't get Discouraged This is only one step in the process of becoming a professional artist. You will get lots of feedback at this event; it is up to you to choose what advice you will follow and what advice you will disregard. Be aware that schools will not be offering on-the-spot scholarships to attendees. These interviews can help you, however, to connect with people who you might be working within college programs, and who may have an influential voice on scholarship decision committees down the road. 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 Emily Larsen at 801-491-5702 or elarsen@springville.org |