Portfolio Guidelines

Degree Options

Fredonia offers both Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degrees. The BA degree allows students to combine their artistic interests with other areas of study in Fredonia’s broad Liberal Arts curriculum. Course work provides technical, conceptual, creative, and aesthetic development in studio art and allows concentration in a favored medium. The BA in Visual Arts easily joins with majors or minors in other academic disciplines for a broad-based and well‐rounded education. The BFA degree requires intensive work in the visual arts studios supported by a program of general education. Students complete rigorous, in‐depth courses in a preferred studio area and work to discover their own artistic voice with a high level of technical, conceptual, creative, and aesthetic development. Students may elect to change degree choice once they are enrolled.

Visual Arts - B.A. / Animation & Illustration / Art History / Ceramics / Drawing & Painting / Film & Video / Graphic Design / Photography / Sculpture

Admissions Process

Admission to the department is a two-part application process, an academic application to the Office of Admissions (admission to the college is based upon a review of your academic work) and submission of an acceptable portfolio to the Department of Visual Arts and New Media for both freshman and transfer students.

When you prepare your application, you will need to provide your contact information, indicate your degree option, submit an essay, and upload your portfolio files through our online submission form. https://fredonia-vanm.submittable.com/

Essay (700 word limit)

Please provide a statement about why you are interested in Visual Arts and New Media. Your narrative should provide information on your background: coursework in the visual arts, extracurricular activities, and other relevant experiences that make you unique and that explain why you are a good choice for this major.

Portfolio

Your portfolio represents your current abilities, but also provides insight into your potential. It does not matter who documents your work, but the images submitted should be of the highest quality that you can manage. Your portfolio should consist of 10 to 20 images that demonstrate your best work in a variety of mediums.

The images you submit should highlight your art and design experience, which could include animation, painting, photography, video, ceramics, sculpture, computer images or website design. Select a range of work that best shows your skills. This doesn’t necessarily have to be all “finished” work, and it may not always be your most recent work. Images of sketchbook pages that show how you solve visual problems could also be submitted. For transfer students, your portfolio should represent your basic foundational experiences as well as more advanced course work.

Online Portfolio Application University Application

Portfolio Preparation Guidelines

The following guidelines should be used in submitting your portfolio for review. Your portfolio represents your current abilities, but also provides insight into your potential. It does not matter who documents your work, but the images submitted should be of the highest quality that you can manage.

Sketchbook images may be included as well as other work, such as observational drawings, two-dimensional design projects, painting, photography, ceramics, sculpture, digital images, short films, and other examples of art and design experience.
Transfer students should present basic foundational work as well as more advanced projects.
Image clarity is important.
For online portfolio submission: These file types are acceptable, pdf, doc, docx, rtf, jpg, gif, tiff, png, mp4 or mov.

Evaluation of Your Portfolio

Your portfolio will be evaluated on the basis of drawing and design ability, originality of ideas, range of skills, and level of craftsmanship.

Download Portfolio Guidelines

Sketchbook images may be included as well as other work, such as observational drawings, two-dimensional design projects, painting, photography, ceramics, sculpture, digital images, short films, and other examples of art and design experience. Transfer students should present basic foundational work as well as more advanced projects.
Image clarity is important.
For online portfolio submission: These file types are acceptable, pdf, doc, docx, rtf, jpg, gif, tiff, png, mp4 or mov.

Tips for Documenting Your Portfolio

Shoot your work on a large, smooth, neutral, solid-colored background (gray or beige) without distracting textures. Do not shoot your artwork on a pure white or black background as the dramatically light or dark color of the background will interfere with your camera’s internal metering system and produce an under- or over-exposed image.
It is very important to shoot your work so that it is perpendicular to the camera lens. If not, the lens will create unusual distortions.
When shooting two-dimensional pieces, it may be easier to lay your work on the ground and position yourself above the work. Using a ladder or tripod may help you position yourself high enough to avoid cropping any of the artwork. Large work may need to be propped up on a support and shot straight on.
When shooting three-dimensional work, make sure to position the work carefully for the most descriptive point of view. This may require positioning yourself above or below the work, or shooting an additional view from a different vantage point.
Shoot tightly, emphasizing the piece you are documenting. Pay attention to everything in your frame. Do not include mats, frames or distracting background elements.
Do not shoot any framed artwork under glass. The camera will capture distracting highlights and reflections in the glass.
Shoot your work outdoors, preferably on an overcast day. Do not shoot in a bright sunny location. The sunlight will create extreme highlights and distracting shadows. If you cannot shoot on an overcast day, then place your work on the north side of a building, again to avoid extreme lighting.
Following the tips listed above, your camera’s automatic setting should record your artwork accurately. If your camera has manual controls, you should “bracket” your exposures, meaning you should shoot at the camera’s suggested meter reading as well as shooting two additional frames, one under and one over the suggested meter reading. For example, if your automatic setting records the piece at f/11, shoot another at f/16 and another at f/8. Choose the best image for your portfolio.
Shoot a detail image of larger pieces or work with small, intricate areas that require emphasis.
Ask your art teacher for assistance if you are still unsure about getting good quality images for your portfolio.