BACHELOR of FINE ART
Portfolio Guidelines FOR STUDIO ARTS MAJOR
In your portfolio, you can highlight your best work and show us how you develop, explore and express your creativity.
While the work you choose to include in your portfolio is important, how you present yourself and your attention to detail make an impression too. Please follow the directions carefully.
Deadlines
Submit documents related to the "other admission criteria" category of admission requirements directly to the program office after you have applied to the program and received a letter of acknowledgement from the Office of the University Registrar with your MacEwan University Student ID.
Requirements for "other admission criteria" must be submitted by the deadline. If they are not submitted by that date, your application will be considered incomplete and will be closed.
1. Apply to the Bachelor of Fine Arts - Studio Arts
You must select the Studio Arts major at the time of application. Applications are submitted through ApplyAlberta. Check MacEwan's How to Apply page for a step-by-step guide to the application process.
2. Create your portfolio and statement of intent
Your portfolio and statement of intent are your opportunity to present your skills, experience, goals, and why you wish to study with us. Admission to the Bachelor of Fine Arts - Studio Arts is competitive. Admission to the program is determined by a committee of Studio Arts faculty who are professional artists with extensive exhibition records and teaching experience. The committee will review your portfolio and statement of intent to determine your readiness for the program.
Your application portfolio is an opportunity to present your creativity, skills, and awareness of art through the submission of 12 - 20 examples of your own recent work. Submit the portfolio as digital images or files to Slideroom, with a mix of examples from the following categories:
- Required: 2D artwork in any media, such as drawing, painting, collage, digital imagery, and photography, including some examples of works done from observation (e.g., drawing from real life as opposed to work copied from other artwork, anime, or cartoon genres).
- Optional: 3D artworks in any media, such as sculpture, ceramics, crafts, installation, and book arts.
- Optional: 4D or time-based media submitted in video or audio formats, such as video, animation, sound art, and internet art.
The assessment committee looks for:
- A basic understanding of composition, colour, tone and perspective
- A variety of mediums and subjects
- Attention to presentation and organization
In the statement of intent, we want to learn about your ideas and inspirations, your influences and your goals. This is your chance to tell us what you think about art and your place in the world as an artist.
The assessment committee looks for:
- Your ability to express ideas in writing
- The ways the program aligns with your personal and professional interests and goals
- Your interest in the theories and practice of historical and contemporary art
To complete your statement of intent, briefly answer the following questions (max. 150 words per question). You will enter your answers into a form when you submit your portfolio:
- Why do you want to study studio arts at MacEwan University?
- What personal attributes and interests do you possess that make you a suitable candidate for a career in studio arts?
- What are your goals after graduation?
- How did you hear about our program? Have you attended any event, or visited us during MacEwan Open House?
- Do you have any background in art history? Are you interested in learning more about the history of art and situating your practice in a larger historical and/or conceptual framework?
3. Submit your portfolio and statement of intent
Take some extra time when photographing your work and submit photographs that best represent your original artwork. Here are some tips for photographing your artwork.
- Use a tripod to avoid motion blur.
- Make sure the lighting is adequate. Avoid using a flash – natural lighting is preferable. Photograph in a bright room instead. Avoid bright spots of glare.
- Set up your artwork with a neutral background like a plain wall or simple backdrop. Avoid clutter or busy backgrounds.
- Photograph each piece individually. Try to fill the camera frame with your work.
- When shooting three-dimensional work, take a few photos of your piece and then determine which shot best captures your work. Take a photograph from the front, above and side angles.
- We recommend that you do not use your cell phone to photograph your work.
How-to video on portfolio development and submission
This video was created by Studio Arts alumni and students with faculty guidance to provide information on how to put together a portfolio for application to the Studio Arts program.
Online tutorials
There are many good tutorials on youTube about how to photograph your work.
Online articles about photo resolution
Submit your portfolio after you have applied to the program and after the online submission system opens for the year. Portfolios will not be assessed unless you have officially applied through ApplyAlberta and paid the application for admission fee.
Using SlideRoom
The portfolio and statement of intent are submitted through an online application called SlideRoom. When you access SlideRoom, you will need to create a login ID, password and profile. Please use the same name that you used to apply to MacEwan. Once you've done that, you can start uploading images. You can upload and save your images as many times as you need to before submitting your portfolio, and your portfolio progress will be saved online until you are ready to submit it. Once you have submitted your portfolio, you cannot make changes to it.
Please make sure to submit your portfolio ONLY to the first choice program that you've applied for as there may be multiple programs accepting portfolios on SlideRoom at the same time.
ACCESS SLIDEROOM: ONLINE PORTFOLIO SUBMISSION SITE
For technical assistance with SlideRoom, email support@slideroom.com.
Next steps
After discussing and assessing your portfolio and statement of intent, the program application assessment committee will make a recommendation. You will receive an admission decision from the Office of the University Registrar and a copy of the decision will be added to your portfolio case.