Submitting a Great Visual Arts Portfolio
Applying to a visual arts BFA program almost always requires submitting a portfolio. This should be the best and most fun part of your college applications but for some students it causes undo stress and confusion. Here are some guidelines about the visual arts portfolio requirement.
What is the goal of submitting a portfolio (besides being accepted)? You want your work to tell your story, and highlight your style, growth as an artist, and experience with different mediums. It should effectively build a visual narrative that expands on other components of your application, including your essays, extra curricular activities, and letters of recommendation.
Your main goal is to help the reviewer get a sense of who you are as an artist and how you stand out in a crowd of very talented students.
How do you create this supporting visual narrative? Some students start with sketchbook images (why I encourage all students to keep a sketchbook), then show smaller more traditional pieces, still life, portrait work, and then expand into larger, more impactful work.
Schools vary with their requirements but most ask you to submit between 10 and 20 pieces. You can also create "montage like" images if you want to show multiple related pieces in one uploaded image. This montage function works especially well if you have 3D work that you want to present from various angles. You must do it effectively and with a purpose though, don't put multiple pieces together in one image to "game the system" and submit more pieces than required. If you combine multiple images you must be intentional and you must allow the viewer to see each work fully. Be proud of the work you submit and photograph it in a professional manner using your phone and about $20 worth of equipment from your local hardware store. If you need guidance download our Guide to Photographing Your Art Work.
Each piece should be named and described (you have 1,000 characters to write a description for most schools). Descriptions should also include medium and size. Sequence your work to show a progression of skill, style and mediums used. Each school has their own requirements so be sure to verify what they are and submit what is requested. Some students start by assembling a body of work of about 25 pieces which enables you to select the most appropriate works for each school based on their requirements, focus and prompts. You will submit your work using Slideroom (once you indicate you are applying to a BFA program the school will send you a login) which allows you to submit work in either .png or .jpeg formats.
I suggest using either a Google doc or the comment option in Google drive to note the names, sizes and mediums, and descriptions of each piece. It is much easier to copy, paste, modify descriptions as you submit to various schools if everything is in one place.
Besides the artwork, what else will you need to do? You will most likely be required to respond to short prompts about your artwork or art in general. Again, use a Google doc, write all the prompts there and then cut/paste into the applications. This also allows for spell and grammar checks and for you to create a base of responses to use for different schools. Don’t be surprised by the number of these prompts and take them seriously, they are just as important as your portfolio so allow time and energy for them. Some schools, notably Cooper Union, RISD, and Parsons also require you to create new pieces and write a response for the new work you create.
Can I have my work reviewed before submitting my applications? YES!! You can attend National Portfolio Day (NPD) which is a big school fair for art schools. I recommend you attend Sophomore year to learn the process and get feedback on your work. Definitely attend Junior year as this will most likely be the last time you can get this feedback in this setting. Though many schools offer portfolio review through their admissions department it is more time consuming to organize vs. the "one stop shopping" model of NPD. This will also help you practice documenting and discussing your work, very important as you will need to do both when you apply to colleges and submit your portfolio. NPD has not yet announced their schedule or format (in person or virtual) for Fall 2021. Once they do I will be sure to publish it and give you tips for attending.
Creating your portfolio is a lengthy but integral aspect of applying to BFA programs so allow time to carefully craft and present your work. Read this post about the Five Components of a Visual Arts Portfolio for guidance on selecting individual portfolio artwork.
Need help with selecting work for your portfolio or writing descriptions that will capture the meaning behind your work? Be in touch, here's my calendar, schedule an appointment to talk today.