for individuals applying to arts or design colleges and universities, or seeking other opportunities in the visual creative field
Meeting Times
The 5-week session meets on Mondays, from November 14 through December 12, from 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. (bring dinner)
How we will work
We will work in a small group setting of three to four students. I will be your mentor through the portfolio process. My main role will be to support you in ensuring that your unique voice comes through clearly and effectively in the presentation of your materials. I will guide you in the following:
– Reviewing portfolio guidelines for the school or schools of your choice and how to most creatively and effectively work within these formats to present your work
– Reviewing and selecting your portfolio work for submission
– Organizing your work and determining the most effective presentation
– Determining elements of your voice that are missing from your portfolio, and that will strengthen your application, and guiding you in producing them
– Finding ways to highlight your strengths
– Looking at other examples for inspiration
We will also look at the following materials as they complement the presentation of you and your body of work. The amount of time we will spend on the items below depends on the scope of the portfolio work, which will be the priority of our sessions. I will:
– Give you feedback on your letter of intent and/or artist statement. I recommend you also have trusted, strong, creative editors review your statement
– Help you determine relevant personal experience and content for your CV and assist you in organizing it most effectively
– Advise you on the process of choosing an individual to support you with a letter of recommendation and on the process of requesting letters of recommendation
My background
I have been a college professor for 18 years, specializing in the area of visual communication. My role has been to inspire and guide students to come up with visionary ideas and represent them in ways that convey the unique qualities of the idea. Many of my students have received awards for their projects. This has to do both with the quality of their ideas and, just as importantly, with the way they are represented, because ideas that are not represented effectively are not seen. Between 1993 and 1995 I taught at the Cooper Union Saturday Outreach program, mentoring New York City high-school students who were interested in pursuing careers in art, design and architecture. As part of that process, I helped them with portfolio building and preparation. During my entire career, I have assisted my students in this process. Most recently, from 2013 to 2015, I taught portfolio classes at Clemson University, guiding students on the application process for graduate school and for finding work or other opportunities that require portfolios. I am also familiar with the other end of this process: I have served on academic committees that review portfolios and other materials of college students applying for admission as well as faculty applying for positions. More about me.
* We will work together to find the best way for your unique voice to shine. It is important to know that this does not guarantee acceptance into the school of your choice. The selection process is a complex one and the results do not always reflect the value of your work. I encourage you to be open to the possibilities. This is exciting!
What to bring
– Your work – sketches and final pieces. Please bring work that you like and that you don’t like
– A list of the schools that you are applying to, with due dates and requirements listed
Cost
$420. $210 will secure your place in the class; $210 due at the start of class. For further information or to enroll in the workshop, please call me at 864-650-8570
