The Hartford Art School invites high school students to the University of Hartford on Sunday, Oct. 20, from noon to 4 p.m., for National Portfolio Day.
32 art schools and colleges will be represented during this four-hour portfolio review opportunity. Bring your best and most recent artwork, up to 20 pieces, to receive advice and guidance on applying to art school programs.
Are you a high school student interested in attending National Portfolio Day? Here is what you need to know.
What is a National Portfolio Day?
National Portfolio Days (NPD) serve a variety of purposes. Most importantly, they help further the development of young artists by bringing together experienced college representatives to review artwork and offer critique. As a student, you'll hear many different opinions about your work. Do not hesitate to explain how you develop your ideas, and where you want to go with them.
A National Portfolio Day may be the first time you see so many people in one place who share a powerful commitment to the arts. This experience is a small taste of what attending a professional art program can be like. No admission decisions or scholarship awards will be offered at National Portfolio Days. Some college and university representatives may accept your portfolio as the visual portion of your application. Others have restrictions that prohibit them from making a definitive portfolio decision at the time of your review.
National Portfolio Days are also about the exchange of information—information about your work, yourself, your college plans, and your concerns. They are not an examination or a competition. The colleges represented are pleased to discuss their programs with you. Of course, they can be most helpful when discussing your work. Your portfolio should include the best work you are making now; but it can also include work in progress, sketchbooks, and tear sheets. Do not spend an inordinate amount of time matting or framing your work or worrying about presentation. The work itself is what is of interest.
What is the National Portfolio Day Association?
The National Portfolio Day Association (NPDA) was created solely for the organization and planning of National Portfolio Day events. Since 1978, NPDA members have been hosting portfolio days throughout the country. The association consists of regionally accredited art colleges that are members of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. It is the only organization of its kind, and its membership represents the highest standard of visual arts education in the United States.
PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS
- Alfred University School of Art and Design
- Art Academy of Cincinnati
- California College of the Arts (CCA)
- Cleveland Institute of Art
- College for Creative Studies
- Drexel University - Westphal College of Media Arts and Design
- Fashion Institute of Technology
- Hartford Art School, University of Hartford
- Lesley Art + Design
- Maine College of Art & Design
- Massachusetts College of Art and Design
- MICA / Maryland Institute College of Art
- Minneapolis College of Art and Design
- Montserrat College of Art
- Moore College of Art and Design
- Paris College of Art
- Parsons School of Design/Parsons Paris at The New School
- Rhode Island School of Design
- Ringling College of Art and Design
- Rochester Institute of Technology
- Salve Regina University
- School of the Art Institute of Chicago
- School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University
- School of Visual Arts
- Suffolk University
- Syracuse University College of Visual and Performing Arts
- The Cooper Union
- Tyler School of Art and Architecture
- University of Connecticut, School of Fine Arts, Art & Art History
- University of Massachusetts Dartmouth CVPA
- University of New Haven
- Virginia Commonwealth University (VCUarts)
Questions?
Please contact artschool@hartford.edu if you have questions about the Oct. 20 event.
LEARN MORE ABOUT NATIONAL PORTFOLIO DAY
ABOUT HARTFORD ART SCHOOL
Hartford Art School was founded in 1877 by a group of prominent Hartford women which includes Harriet Beecher Stowe, Olivia Clemens, Elizabeth Colt, Susan Warner, and Mary Bushnell Cheney. In 1957, the Hartford Art School merged with The Hartt College of Music and Hillyer College to form the University of Hartford. Today the University has seven schools and colleges, more than 4,000 undergraduate students, a total enrollment of 6,000 students, and includes graduate and professional programs. Learn more about Hartford Art School.