If the rest of your application is solid, how much impact can an extremely high quality art supplement have?
A supplement may be required if you are majoring in art. Otherwise, it depends on the college. Make sure the colleges permit supplements to your application before you send it, because not following instructions could actually hurt your application. If your art was published or prominently displayed, you might list that as it’s similar to an award.
My S applied ED to a top LAC and included an arts supplement, since performing (instrumental, vocal, theater) was a major activity. He did not plan to major in music or theater, but did continue to participate in both during college. (He was admitted)
I think an arts supplement can help an applicant stand out.
My musician son had a solid application, but in all honesty I’m not sure whether that alone would have been enough without his arts supplement. Maybe, maybe not, given today’s extreme low selectivity rates at top schools.
A general answer to your general question is YES as long as the arts supplement is of high quality. But in some cases, a certain kind of arts supplement can be even more effective (and I don’t know what kind of arts supplement you have in mind).
In my son’s case, he submitted his violin performances as his arts supplement to those colleges with orchestras that rank in top 20 best college orchestras. For such schools, if the level of your orchestral instrument performance is at a top conservatory or a professional level such that the music director or the conductor of that school’s orchestra wants you, then that’s as huge an advantage as highly sought after and recruited quarterback or a wide receiver. Not too surprising to discover, therefore, that my son’s college orchestra is comprised of fellow student musicians selected out of such backgrounds as Pre-College Juilliard, Pre-College NEC, winners in half dozen or more concerto competitions, including one violinist who had a solo debut with the New York Philharmonic at age 13 followed by several international competition wins, etc. All these musician students, too, I’m not sure if it hadn’t been for their arts supplement showcasing their talent in music, would have been admitted just with their solid application alone.