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Your portfolio says a great
deal about you—it reflects your personality and displays your special talents.
That’s why a portfolio review is an important part of the admission process.
Your portfolio can take any
shape or form. Technical ability may or may not be considered more important
than the creative and artistic efforts evident in your portfolio.
Before you submit your portfolio as part of your
official application, we recommend that you show your work unofficially—during
your admission interview, on a Portfolio Day, or on a day that we
visit your school. We’ll give
you guidance to help you strengthen the portfolio that you’ll submit with your
application.
Preparing Your
Portfolio for Review
Photograph
and Slide Portfolios
Electronic
Portfolios
Videos,
Films, Performances, and Installation Works
Sending Your
Portfolio to the Museum School
Return of
Your Portfolio
Preparing
Your Portfolio for Review
You can
submit your portfolio in the form of original work or reproduced as slides
(preferred), photographs, or various electronic media. Here are some
guidelines:
• Submit
15-20 pieces.
• Submit work
in any medium or in a combination of media.
• We strongly
recommend not submitting work copied from photographs or from other artwork. The
Admissions Committee is interested in seeing the execution of an original
concept.
• Write your
name on each piece in your portfolio, including each slide. Please be sure your
name appears exactly the same each time it is used. Also, please write your
name, telephone number, and address on each case, box, or container included in
your portfolio.
Please note:
The Museum School assumes no responsibility for items that are lost or damaged
while at the School or during return shipment to the
applicant.
Photograph
and Slide Portfolios
For
photographs only: There are
no restrictions on the format, size, paper, or method of printing for your
photographs.
For slides
only: Mark the
slides with the image correct side up and the emulsion side away from the
viewer. Place a dot in the lower-left corner of each slide. Use either a pen or
a small round sticker with a mark on it.
For
photographs and slides: • Number each
photograph or slide individually.
• Print your
name on each photograph or slide.
• Include a
corresponding photograph or slide list indicating the title of each image, the
date of its completion, the materials used, the size of the piece, and any other
pertinent information.
Electronic
Portfolios
If you feel
that your artwork is best represented in an electronic format, you may submit a
CD or a Web site address (URL). Please follow these
instructions:
• Indicate
the program(s) you used to create your images and whether the CD is formatted
for a Macintosh computer or for a PC.
• Indicate
the date of its completion.
• Please make
sure the disk includes only those
files to be reviewed. Videos,
Films, Performances, and Installation Works
We
accept videos and DVDs.
• Videos must
be in a half-inch VHS (U.S.) format only.
• Include a
brief description of the video, what part you took in it, and when it was
created.
• If a piece
is a collaborative work, briefly explain your
contribution.
• The video
should be about 10 minutes long. The Admissions Committee views only the first
10 minutes of a cued video.
Sending Your
Portfolio to the Museum School
You can mail
your portfolio or drop it off in person at:
SMFA
Admissions Office
230
The Fenway
Boston,
Massachusetts 02115
Return of
Your Portfolio
After your
portfolio review has been completed, you should make timely arrangements for the
portfolio's return. Shortly after you receive your letter of decision, please
contact the Admissions Office to determine whether your portfolio can be
returned. If a delivery arrangement has not been made within 60 days of the date
of your decision letter, the portfolio will be discarded. The Admissions Office
cannot assume responsibility for portfolios lost or damaged during their
return.
You may have
your portfolio returned in one of the following ways:
1. Mailed to
you in a self-addressed, stamped envelope or package that you include with your
application. This is the quickest and most economical way. Please make sure to
affix proper postage to your return envelope.
2. You may
pick up your portfolio at the Admissions Office. If you are unable to collect
your portfolio during regular Admissions Office hours, please contact us in
advance to make special arrangements.
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