Portfolio Review Requirements

PORTFOLIO REVIEW DATES AND REQUIREMENTS

Students interested in Art, Art Education, Applied Digital Art, or the Communication Design programs require both an application to the University and the successful completion of an Online Portfolio Review through SlideRoom

ONLINE PORTFOLIO REVIEW

Portfolios for first-year students can be submitted online using SlideRoom. Requirements for submitting work are outlined below. There is a fee of $10 to upload a portfolio to SlideRoom.

Virtual Portfolio Prep Workshop:

This free, hour-long workshop will take you through the portfolio requirements as well as tips, tricks and suggestions for presenting your work in a professional manner.

Thursday, October 17, 2024
Time: 6pm-7pm  
Register here: Portfolio Prep Workshop, Thurs. 10/17

Wednesday, November 13, 2024
Time: 6pm-7pm  
Register here: Portfolio Prep Workshop, Wed. 11/13

Off-Campus Review:

National Portfolio Day - In-Person (undergraduate)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Local Event Time 10:00am-2:00pm EDT
Sunday, October 27, 2024
Moore College of Art and Design |1916 Race Street Philadelphia, PA, 19103 United States

Register here: National Portfolio Day Philadelphia Sun. 10/27/2024

PORTFOLIO REQUIREMENTS

NUMBER OF UNIQUE PIECES: 8-12

SUGGESTIONS OF WHAT TO INCLUDE

  • Two-Dimensional Design: Drawing, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Mixed Media, Illustrations (traditional or digital), and Graphic Design. Works can range from observational to abstract and should demonstrate your understanding of composition, color, tonal value, shape, line, and texture, etc.
  • Three-Dimensional Design: Sculpture, Ceramics, Metals, Jewelry, Woodworking, Mixed Media, Installation Pieces, Assemblage. For three-dimensional work provide at least 2 views per piece. 
  • Digital & Time-Based Work: Animations, Motion Graphics, Creative Video, Video Games, Film, Websites, etc. Keep your submission to 10 minutes or less for all pieces combined; you may submit excerpts for longer pieces. You can upload items to Slideroom (500 MB limit per file) or supply links to public channels on YouTube, Vimeo, etc.

SUGGESTED BUT NOT REQUIRED

  • Observational Drawings 
  • Sketches/Sketchbooks– Concepts, Journals, Sketches, Experimentation with Techniques

PRESENTATION

Select: Include only your strongest, most recent work. Showcase problem solving, decision-making, and originality of ideas.

Document: For large scale or three-dimensional work, make close-up, focused, high-resolution, well-lit submissions shots showing the entire piece. Crop the image to remove distracting backgrounds or frames and make sure the shot is straight.

For three–dimensional work, photograph with a neutral background (white, black, grey) and show at least two views of the work. You may combine two views of the work in a single slide.

The simplest way to get the best lighting is to use daylight. Do not use a flash. The best type is indirect daylight; avoid photographing in direct sunlight.  Indirect light can be achieved by photographing in a room with large windows or outside in the shadow of a building.  Avoid photographing late in the day when the sun is low.

Organize: Develop an order to your presentation that makes sense and has a logical flow.

Important Dates

December 13, 2024

Visual Arts Portfolio Slideroom submission deadline - FRESHMAN for Spring 2025

December 13, 2024

Visual Arts Portfolio Slideroom submission deadline - TRANSFER for Spring 2025

May 10, 2025

Slideroom submission deadline for KU INTERNAL TRANSFER undergraduate Art and Design students (Fall start)

June 1, 2025

Slideroom submission deadline for FRESHMAN and TRANSFER undergraduate Art and Design students (Fall start)

August 1, 2025

Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) in Communication Design Fall 2025

HELPFUL CONTACTS

College of Visual and Performing Arts: Joselyn Wynter, 610-683-4500, wynter@kutztown.edu

University Admissions: 610-683-4060 or toll-free 1-877-628-1915, admissions@kutztown.edu

Notification of acceptance will be provided by the Kutztown University Admissions Department.