High School and Community College Student Open House and Portfolio Review

Our Regional High School and Community College Portfolio Day provides an excellent opportunity for your students to learn about the opportunities available at our institution and to receive valuable feedback on their current work. Faculty and staff members from the School’s recruitment committee will provide portfolio reviews, answer program-specific questions, and offer general guidance on the application process for first-year and community college transfer students. Faculty insights and guidance can significantly impact your students' futures. This event will also showcase the exceptional visual and scholarly works created by our current undergraduate cohort in the Studio Art, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Art and Art History, and Art Education programs. Student ambassadors will lead tours of our outstanding facilities as well as answering questions about our programs and campus life. Light refreshments will be offered in our Link Galley location. Even better, this year the open house coincides with our Art & Design Fall Fest event, a day of undergraduate arts celebration, featuring open classrooms, workshops and demos. We’d love to have you here to experience this annual event.

To be prepared for a portfolio review, students should ideally bring their original works of art in a portfolio. Large scale, video, or 3D works can be presented digitally, and laptops and tablets are great options. 10-20 artworks completed within the last two years, including works in drawing, painting, textiles, collage, illustration, photography, two and three-dimensional design, ceramics, sculpture, and printmaking are encouraged. Sketchbooks can also provide valuable insights into the creative planning and thinking process and we encourage you to bring those along, as well. 

The School of Art & Design is an original charter member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), and we’ve maintained our fully accredited status for over 75 years. We take pride in the strength of our programs and our ongoing record of student success. We will give you the tools to become a skilled professional. The College of Fine and Applied Arts offers plenty of professional development, workshops, and internship opportunities. According to the Illinois Success initiative, the School of Art & Design has one of the university’s highest job placement rates after graduation.

Please complete the online registration by Friday, October 23, to confirm your intention to participate. In your response, please include your contact information, such as your name, telephone number, and email address. To assist with planning, we kindly ask that teachers who may be accompanying students indicate how many you estimate will attend.

Feel free to reach out to art@illinois.edu with any questions.