FINE ARTS DEPARTMENT
KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY
PORTFOLIO REQUIREMENTS / GUIDELINES
MAJOR IN FINE ARTS (STUDIO ART)
A portfolio review is required for acceptance into the Fine Arts major (Studio Art). This requirement applies to all students including: incoming freshmen, transfer students, and students changing majors within Kutztown University (including Related Arts/ Visual students).
Becoming a Fine Arts major at Kutztown University is a two-part process. When submitting a portfolio to the Fine Arts Department you must, at the same time, submit an application to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions for admission to the University. Your portfolio will not be reviewed until the Admissions Office receives your application. Click here for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions submission information.
PORTFOLIO REVIEW DATES:
The Portfolio Committee will review portfolios on a rolling basis from October 3 until December 2. Candidates who submit a portfolio to the Fine Arts department and an application to the Office of Admissions by Dec. 2, 2005, will be considered for Early Action into the Studio Art Program. Early Action decisions will be made by December 2, 2005. Reviews will resume and continue from January 16 until February 15 (holidays excepted). Committee decisions will be forwarded to the Admissions Office within 10 days. Later applicants may have difficulty obtaining acceptance to the University through the Admissions Office and/or obtaining housing.
All transfer students (both external applicants and Kutztown students transferring from another major) should submit their portfolio between October 3 and December 2 to be admitted in Spring 2006 and between January 16 and February 15 to be admitted in Fall 2006. Internal transfer (KU) students should submit a portfolio early in the semester so their applications will be acted upon before advisement and registration for the following semester.
Transfer students must submit an additional copy of their transcripts with the portfolio application to the Fine Arts Department. Current KU students who want to change their major must submit a copy of their KU transcript with the portfolio application.
PORTFOLIO REQUIREMENTS:
A portfolio is a selection of artwork you have chosen to represent your abilities and experience as a visual artist. A well thought out portfolio gives you an opportunity to demonstrate artistic strengths and interests that may not be adequately reflected in your academic records to date and you should choose artwork with this in mind. Avoid variety for its own sake, as it is often counter-productive. You may include work from projects done for summer and Saturday classes as well as for classroom projects and work done for your own interests without supervision.
All Fine Arts students are required to take a core program of studio courses to be completed during the freshman (foundation) and sophomore years. The Fine Arts Department's Portfolio Committee reviews the submitted portfolios and determines if each applicant is sufficiently prepared for these core courses or, for upper division transfer students, to see if you have the necessary foundation skills.
The Portfolio Committee recognizes that students come to Kutztown with widely varied experience, backgrounds and interests. We expect to see different levels of work from applicants. For example, the portfolio of a student already enrolled in an art major will be significantly different from the applicant with little formal instruction in the visual arts, or a student whose main interest is photography may not have developed the same level of manual dexterity as the student whose interest is in drawing, painting or sculpture. We rely upon your selection to tell us something about you and your commitment to pursue a career in Fine Arts.
THE COMMITTEE WILL BASE ITS JUDGMENT ON THESE CRITERIA: DRAWING (PERCEPTION), VISUAL ORGANIZATION AND CREATIVE THINKING. YOUR PORTFOLIO MUST INCLUDE DRAWINGS, WITH THE REST OF YOUR SELECTIONS CHOSEN FROM THE OTHER MEDIUMS LISTED BELOW.
1. DRAWING
ALL PORTFOLIOS MUST INCLUDE THREE TO FIVE EXAMPLES OF DRAWING FROM DIRECT OBSERVATION. These may include drawings done from still life, life figure model, self-portrait from a mirror and/or landscape. Do Not include drawings done from a photograph, copies of commercial art or of another artist's work, or from memory. Drawing is the fundamental skill through which artists respond to the observed world and the world of imagination. Your ability to draw should be evident throughout your portfolio
2. PAINTING / WORKS IN COLOR
The ability to mix color and apply paint is also a fundamental skill. Paintings in any medium (oil, acrylic, watercolor or tempera) may be included to demonstrate your ability to mix paint, to understand form and color, and to control value in a composition. Work in pastel, collage or mixed media also demonstrate this ability.
3. SCULPTURE
Sculpture uses the ability to conceptualize in three dimensions. This is as fundamental to the visual arts as the ability to draw. It allows you to respond on many levels (intellectually, emotionally and physically) to the essential physical characteristics of form, space, structure, volume and texture. You may include slides of carved, cast modeled, joined or assembled sculpture in any media. You are limited to two slides per piece. Actual objects will not be accepted.
4. PHOTOGRAPHY
Photography is an important art form, and is also valuable in its ability to educate the artist about the importance of composition and to develop an individual point of view. If you have an interest in Photography be sure to include original examples of your work but do not base your portfolio solely on photographs. Photography concentrators, like all studio majors, are required to take courses in all studio areas.
5. PRINTMAKING
If you have an interest in Printmaking you may wish to include slides of woodcut, collograph, etching, engraving, linoleum cut, lithography, letterpress and silk-screening.
6. COMPOSITION
The study of design and composition is important to the education of visual artists. Your ability to organize the page well is tied directly to the successful expression of your idea. You may include in your portfolio works that demonstrate your understanding of two and three dimensional design principles.
TRANSFER STUDENTS PLEASE NOTE:
Transfer portfolios should demonstrate competence in courses intended to be transferred to Kutztown University. (Example: if you intend to transfer a life drawing course, your portfolio should include drawings from that course. To transfer a painting course your portfolio should include paintings, and so forth.) Transfer students must submit a copy of their transcripts with the portfolio application. Internal transfer students must submit a copy of their KU transcript with the portfolio application.
FORMAT FOR YOUR PORTFOLIO:
Portfolios must be either in slide, CD (Compact Disc) or conventional portfolio format.
SLIDE FORMAT:
35mm slides are the preferred method of application and are strongly recommended. Slides allow you to use your strongest work to apply to several institutions at the same time. They allow you to tailor your applications to different requirements and are compact and easy to handle.
1. 35mm Slides Only. No fewer than ten (10) and no more than twenty (20) 35mm slides.
2. Each slide should be labeled with your name and address and identified by number.
3. A typed check sheet must accompany the application listing size, medium and date.
4. Slides must be submitted in a plastic 8 1/2 x 11" slide sleeve available in most photography stores.
5. Place a dot in the lower left hand corner of each slide.
6. Please do not submit slides in hard cover, three-ring binders.
7. Enclose a self-addressed, pre-stamped envelope large enough for return of slides.
HOW DO I MAKE SLIDES FOR MY PORTFOLIO?
Using a 35mm camera, you can photograph your work out-of-doors using natural light, or inside using special photographic floodlights.
Outdoors, place your art in even shade and use daylight slide film.
Indoors, you may use inexpensive photoflood lights with 3200 K tungsten bulb and Ektachrome 160 35mm slide film.
Inside or out, place each artwork against a neutral background. (You may wish to prop a work up on a chair.) Move in close enough to let your artwork occupy as much of the viewfinder as possible.
CD FORMAT:
Some students with access to digital cameras may wish to submit their portfolio on a disc. This is fine, but the images must be in J-PEG format to ensure that they can be viewed easily by both MAC and PC users.
1. No fewer than ten (10) and no more than twenty (20) images.
2. Put your name on the surface of the disc itself and title the disc with your name so that it appears when the disc is opened on a computer desk top.
3. Each image should be labeled. Number each image and state your name, the art- work's medium, size and date.
4. Keep your presentation as simple and straight- forward as possible. Consider your disc simply as storage for reproductions of your work.
5. Do not put your images in a Power Point presentation or any other publishing program.
6. Enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope large enough to return the disc.
ONLY SLIDE and CD PORTFOLIOS MAY BE SENT THROUGH THE MAIL OR PARCEL SERVICES.
Mail to:
Fine Arts Department, 113 Sharadin Studio
Kutztown University, P.O. Box 730, Kutztown, PA 19530-0730
CONVENTIONAL PORTFOLIO FORMAT
Applicants who do not wish to send slides or CD's may submit portfolios of original artwork. PORTFOLIOS OF ORGINIAL ARTWORK CANNOT BE SENT THROUGH THE MAIL OR BY PARCEL SERVICES. THEY MUST BE HAND DELIVERED AND PICKED UP DURING REGULAR OFFICE HOURS.
Read and follow theses requirements when submitting a portfolio of original artwork or the Fine Arts Department will not accept delivery of your portfolio.
1. Submit a total of no fewer than ten and no more than fifteen works. This total applies whether your portfolio is all original artwork, or contains a mix of originals and slides or photographic prints.
2. No original three-dimensional work will be accepted. Use slides or photographic prints for this purpose.
4. DO NOT MAT OR FRAME ARTWORK as this adds unnecessary weight to the portfolio. Insert a hinged corrugated cardboard folder into the portfolio to protect works on paper. Submit your work on clean, neat, complete sheets of paper. This no frills presentation allows us to see how well you compose on the page.
5. All drawings, especially charcoal drawings, should be sprayed with fixative to protect them from smudging. Charcoal drawings should also be covered by a clean piece of blank paper for additional protection. Please air out fixed drawings for at least a day before placing them in the portfolio to allow hazardous solvents to evaporate.
6. All your paintings must fit inside the portfolio. Obviously, paintings must be thoroughly dry.
7. If including photography, send original photographs.
SIZE LIMITATIONS:
All your work must fit into one of the following portfolios (they can be purchased at most art supply stores):
Red rope manila portfolios sized 20x26x2 or 26x20x2 –OR-
Cardboard mailing portfolios sized 22 1/2x30x3/8 or 24x36
Larger portfolios will not be accepted.
Do not use zipper case portfolios — they are too bulky.
IDENTIFICATION:
Your name and address must appear on the outside of the portfolio and each artwork must be legibly signed. Print your name on them just to be sure. Please include a portfolio application form (click here for form)
DELIVERY:
Fine Arts Department Office
113 Sharadin Studio
Kutztown University
Portfolios of original artwork must be hand delivered and picked up M-F, 8:00am-12:00pm and 1:00pm- 4:30pm (Phone 610-683-4540).
While every precaution is taken to insure prompt and proper handling of student artwork, Kutztown University assumes no responsibility for loss or damage. Once submitted, student artwork will only be returned upon completion of the review process. Once you have been notified of a decision from the Fine Arts Department, please pick up your original portfolio as soon as possible.
Please feel free to contact the Fine Arts office at (610) 683-4540 with any questions about these application procedures.
CHECKLIST-Your portfolio should include:
Three to five drawings from observation
A completed information sheet
A self-addressed stamped envelope (slide's and CD's)
A copy of your transcripts (if Transfer student)
AND: Did you apply to Kutztown University through the Office of Admissions? (610-683-4060)
