Studio Art Concentration Entry-Portfolio Review
All students admitted to UNT who wish to major in Studio Art will be designated as a pre-major in Studio Art until they complete the entry-portfolio review process and are accepted into one of the seven concentrations.
Due Oct. 15 in Fall | March 15 in Spring
Late portfolios will not be accepted. Submit all contents through unt.slideroom.com, the portal for submitting application materials.
Frequently Asked Questions
Portfolio Requirements
1. Artwork
Apply separately to each area where you would like to concentrate.
Submit your work that best highlights your skill, technical competencies (see below), and concepts from the media area in which you plan to concentrate. Your submitted work will be assessed on the following medium-specific competencies.
Technical Competencies by Area
For all areas, successful work submitted must demonstrate technical proficiency with the chosen medium, be high quality, and be presented professionally.
Ceramics: Demonstrate basic technical skills in hand-building and/or throwing
Drawing and Painting: Demonstrate technical skills in paint application, color mixing, compositional arrangement, and drawing methods.
Metalsmithing and Jewelry: Demonstrate good craftsmanship and finish.
New Media Art: Demonstrate proficiency in video capture, audio recording, and non-linear editing and exporting using digital cameras and editing software.
Photography: Demonstrate proficiency in image exposure, color correction, and tonal correction using digital cameras and editing software.
Printmaking: Demonstrate proficiency in creating strong visual matrixes, printing matrixes with fidelity, and curating prints that use at least two printmaking processes. Images 1-3, 4-6, and 7-9 will show three limited editions of three consistent prints each. Additional images may be prints or other related media. Artworks should be photographed or scanned showing the whole print, including the deckle, torn, or cut edge of the paper.
Sculpture: Demonstrate basic technical skills in woodworking, welding, mold-making and casting.
A minimum of half of your portfolio should be based on the concentration for which you seek entry. The portfolio requires 12 to 18 individual artworks. If appropriate, include detailed images.
The artwork must be legible.
Please document your work with the best possible photographs. Some good guides include the following.
- Two Low-tech Ways to Photograph your Artwork, YouTube video narrated by Kay Seedig, former CVAD visual arts technician
- Low-tech DIY: Photographing 2D Artwork using Daylight, YouTube video narrated by Kay Seedig, former CVAD visual arts technician
- Photographing Your Artwork: Beginner’s Tips That Anyone Can Do.
2. Transcripts
Upload your transcripts to unt.slideroom.com, the portal for submitting application materials. UNT students must include an unofficial copy of their transcripts, which may be downloaded from My.UNT.edu. For transfer students, you must include unofficial transcripts from all previous institutions attended. All transfer transcripts will be included if you get your unofficial transcripts from the UNT Office of the Registrar. Acceptance to the program is contingent on a 2.5 GPA and good academic standing.
Save as a portable document file, .pdf, using the following file-naming convention: Last_First_Transcripts (example: Smith_John_Transcripts).
3. Statement
Write a statement of up to 2,000 characters responding to the following prompts.
- Describe your artwork’s strengths, weaknesses, and plans for further development.
- Give examples of one historical and one contemporary practice/artist/method related to your artwork.
- Describe the relationship between form and content in one of the artworks in your portfolio.
- What resonates with you about the concentration to which you are applying?
- Explain your work from a creative and technical standpoint. What is your body of work about and how are you expressing your ideas with the medium of your choice?