Annual Events
The School of Art hosts a spectrum of exciting annual events to inspire your creative soul and enable you to experience a full range of artistic approaches, voices and mediums.
- AVCE Symposium
- Art History Symposium
- National Portfolio Day
- Art Cats Welcome
- Art Days
- UAMA Events
Art and Visual Culture Education Symposium
Are you passionate about teaching others about the transformative power of creative expression? The Art and Visual Culture Education (AVCE) program, which offers degree options for future art educators and researchers, hosts the annual Emerging Conversations Symposium. Organized by graduate students, the AVCE Symposium has offered stimulating, scholarly discussions by and for art educators for 11 years. If you’re interested in pursuing a career in art education, or if you’re already an art educator, you can attend the symposium to immerse yourself in conversations about interdisciplinary, social justice-oriented art education.
Art History Symposium
At the School of Art, students learn by doing. It’s in keeping with this spirit of our student-centric community that the School of Art hosts the annual Art History Symposium. It’s one of only 30 symposia in the entire country and the oldest of its kind. The Art History Symposium is organized and led entirely by students via the Art History Graduate Student Association (AHGSA). Attend the ARH Symposium each spring, and listen in as our students contribute to the ongoing evolution of research in the discipline.
- 2025 Art History Symposium: “Imbue and Inhabit: The interconnectedness of space, place and identity”
National Portfolio Day
To become an artist, it takes a bold attitude and a strong desire to pursue the quest for meaning. It also takes a great deal of mentorship and guidance. If you’re a high school student who is thinking about becoming an art major, you’re strongly encouraged to attend the National Portfolio Day (NPD), which will be held Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the School of Art in Tucson. Stay tuned for registration details.
University representatives from art schools around the country meet with you to review your portfolio, offer constructive feedback and discuss their art programs. In 2024, we hosted 18 art schools:
More NPD details
Art Cats Welcome
Hosted every fall, this event provides opportunity for the school to officially welcome its incoming class of new and transfer students! Meet your new classmates, our advisors and faculty, learn important information about your time as a School of Art major and engage in fun activities!
Art Days
If the School of Art is not hosting National Portfolio Day, we hold Art Days in the fall for prospective college art students. During this outreach event, high school and community college students can visit our campus, gain an understanding of the breadth of our programming, take tours of our facilities (including the Center for Creative Photography and the UA Museum of Art), and meet with faculty and current students. An Art History talk and gallery reception are typically included, too.
School of Art candidates can bring a portfolio of their best artwork for the potential to gain an immediate admission recommendation from our faculty. They can even gain tips on improving their professional portfolio and get personalized advice during brief advising sessions.
Note: Art Days is being suspended again in 2025, but students are encouraged to get their portfolio reviewed during National Portfolio Day on Oct. 25, 2025, at the School of Art.
University of Arizona Museum of Art Events
The University of Arizona Museum of Art (UAMA) has displayed compelling artwork for decades, including the Samuel H. Kress Collection of European paintings and sculptures. UAMA has also forged a partnership with the School of Art to display artwork created by our students, faculty, and alumni. Explore current and upcoming exhibitions here. Be inspired by the creative expressions of your fellow artists, and consider submitting your own work for display.
UAMA Events
