The Art Academy of Cincinnati College of Art & Design is honored to host National Portfolio Day on Sept. 29, 2024, at Union Hall!
High school students and creative young adults who are thinking about applying to art school to earn their undergraduate degree are invited to register. Professors and admissions counselors from art and design schools around the country will be on site to review portfolios, answer questions, and provide feedback that’ll make the college application process a little less daunting.
Portfolio reviews will all take place at Union Hall in Over-the-Rhine, just a few blocks from the Art Academy. Prior to the reviews, our admissions team will be giving tours of our campus building.
At a glance:
- Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024
- Tours of the Art Academy of Cincinnati: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
- Portfolio reviews at Union Hall: 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
- Locations:
- Union Hall is located at 1311 Vine St., Cincinnati, OH 45202
- The Art Academy of Cincinnati is located at 1212 Jackson St., Cincinnati, OH 45202
- Cost: FREE
- Meet with faculty, professors, admissions counselors, and representatives from colleges and universities around the country for 10- to 15-minute, one-on-one portfolio reviews
- Hosted by the Art Academy of Cincinnati College of Art & Design in partnership with the National Portfolio Day Association
What is National Portfolio Day?
The National Portfolio Day Association (NPDA) is a coordinated effort to support students’ pursuit of art and design in higher education. Here’s how NPDA describes itself:
“The National Portfolio Day Association (NPDA) was established in 1978 solely for the organization and planning of National Portfolio Day events. Today, the Association continues this work and has broadened its mission to provide support to professionals advising students on portfolio development for college/university admission. Consisting of more than 100 post-secondary institutions that hold regional accreditation and accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), or its equivalent, NPDA is the only organization of its kind and its membership represents the highest standard of visual arts education available in the world.”
Your portfolio is one of the most important components of your application materials. Events like National Portfolio Day give you the opportunity to understand what your strengths are and learn the areas where you can improve before you apply. Professors, counselors, admissions team members and representatives offer 10- to 15-minute, one-on-one sessions with students to give feedback about their work, answer questions, and provide insights about the program they represent.
The Art Academy of Cincinnati is a member of the NPDA and will have faculty and team members who you can meet! Register here.
The following colleges will have representatives present:
- Art Academy of Cincinnati College of Art & Design
- Cleveland Institute of Art
- Columbus College of Art & Design
- Minneapolis College of Art and Design
- Laguna College of Art & Design
- Herron School of Art and Design, IU Indianapolis
- School of Visual Arts
- Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design
- College for Creative Studies
- BGSU School of Art
- Montserrat College of Art-Admissions
- Kansas City Art Institute
- Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University
- The Cooper Union
- Parsons School of Design
- Parsons Paris at The New School
- University of Saint Francis
- Frostic School of Art at Western Michigan University
Never attended an NPD before? We’ve got you covered.
Here are some quick tips:
- Reviews last 10 to 15 minutes in order to make sure everyone is seen in a timely manner. Make sure you know what you’d like to talk about and leave room for your reviewer to talk as well.
- Be sure to bring your absolute best work and have it all on a prepared folder in your tablet or computer, or in a portfolio case that you can easily unpack and repack.
- Got large-scale work or sculptures? You can document them and show them digitally or with prints! Make sure to capture your sculptures from multiple sides.
- Come ready for compliments and critiques.
- Keep an open mind—art is subjective, and so are reviews. Trust yourself and think of what feedback will help your practice.
- Mark off pages you want to show in your sketchbook—we won’t have time to look through every page.
- Bring a friend or a parent, a bag to collect college information materials, and make sure you eat beforehand—it’s a long event and you might be on your feet the whole time!
Can’t make it in September?
The Art Academy will also be participating in the following National Portfolio Days:
- Sept. 14: Baltimore, MD and Nashville, TN
- Sept. 15: Union, NJ
- Sept. 21: Atlanta, GA and Kansas City, MO
- Sept. 22: Charlotte, NC and St. Louis, MO
- Sept. 28: Indianapolis, IN
- Oct. 5: Milwaukee, MN and Richmond, VA
- Oct. 6: Chicago, IL and Washington DC
- Oct. 19: Cleveland, OH and Boston, MA
- Oct. 20: Kalamazoo, MI and Hartford, CT
- Oct. 26: New York, NY
- Oct. 27: Philadelphia, PA
Register for National Portfolio Day on Sept. 29, hosted by the Art Academy and held at Union Hall, right here.
If you’ve got any questions, we’re happy to answer them! Contact admissions@artacademy.edu or call 513-562-8778.
