National Portfolio Day

If you’re a high school student or a community college transfer who’s thinking about becoming an art major, you’re strongly encouraged to attend National Portfolio Day in Tucson on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the University of Arizona School of Art, 1031 N. Olive Road.

University representatives from 18 art schools around the country will meet with you to review your portfolio, offer constructive feedback and discuss their art programs. National Portfolio Day is free and open to the public.

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Participating schools
What to bring
Overview
NPDA
Host school info
Campus map

Participating schools

California College of the Arts
San Francisco, CA

Cleveland Institute of Art
Cleveland, OH

Cornish College of the Arts
Seattle, WA

Iowa State University College of Design
Ames, IA

Kansas City Art Institute
Kansas City, MO

Laguna College of Art + Design
Laguna Beach, CA

Maine College of Art & Design
Portland, ME

Mesa Community College Art Department
Mesa, AZ

Minneapolis College of Art and Design
Minneapolis, MN

Montserrat College of Art
Beverly, MA

Pacific Northwest College of Art at Willamette University
Portland, OR

Ringling College of Art & Design
Sarasota, FL

School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Chicago, IL

School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University
Boston, MA

School of Visual Arts
New York City, NY

The Cooper Union
New York City, NY

University of Arizona School of Art
Tucson, AZ

Washington University College of Art
St. Louis, MO

What should you bring?

A portfolio of visual artwork that includes your best and most recent work, but it can also include works in progress, sketchbooks and tear sheets. Don’t hesitate to explain how you develop your ideas and where you want to go with them.

Often, sharing the process of arriving at the completed work is as valuable as simply presenting finished products. You will hear many different opinions about your work that will be reflective of the admission requirements of each school. Therefore, we urge you to discuss your work with as many colleges/universities as possible and to bring no more than 15 works.

Your portfolio can be presented as original work or on screen, but make note wifi may not be available at all locations. Students who are not prepared to show a portfolio may attend to gather information from college/university representatives.

What are National Portfolio Days?

National Portfolio Days are annual events held in multiple locations across the United States, Canada and Europe. They are designed to provide a unique opportunity for you to meet individually with professional representatives of accredited colleges and universities and receive valuable feedback and guidance on your portfolio before you submit it as part of your application. Not all members attend all events. Visit nationalportfolioday.org for attendees.

No admission decisions or scholarship awards will be offered to you 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. All representatives will be happy to discuss their specific programs of study and provide answers to questions about the availability of scholarships and financial aid.

You will not find National Portfolio Days to be an examination or competition, the events are about an exchange of information. The representatives want to learn about you, your work, and your post-secondary plans, all while informing you about their college or university and application requirements. These events may be the first time you have been in an environment with so many people in one place who all share a powerful commitment to art and design. Use this as an opportunity to be inspired, to gain advice as to how to improve or present your portfolio, and to experience a small taste of what it is like to attend a professional art and design program.

What is the NPDA?

The National Portfolio Day Association (NPDA) was created in 1978 solely for the organization and planning of National Portfolio Days. The Association consists of representatives that hold regional accreditation and accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), or Substantial Equivalency status. NPDA is the only organization of its kind and the membership represents the highest standard of visual arts education available in the world.

Host school info

The University of Arizona School of Art, part of the College of Fine Arts, has extensive classrooms, facilities and galleries for student and faculty use, unique to each discipline. All portfolio reviews will take place indoors.

Email School of Art undergraduate adviser Ashley Rubin — arubin@arizona.edu — if you need additional information or have questions.