Look up artprof.org . They have a lot of good videos about portfolio development and show examples of what to avoid, how to make a piece better, how to present/photograph your work. It’s very helpful to learn what is being looked for in a portfolio and maybe stand out just a bit. Look for the BFA (vs the MFA vids).
I liked the videos I saw because many of their examples are straight out of submitted portfolios (so a lot of highschool work) and the critiques were really straightforward with helpful suggestions.
@tw27 and @Jaquard, my son is a Freshman Art major at UCLA, and loves it so far. No regrets about turning down CMU, Michigan, RISD, SAIC, MICA (the latter 2 with 6 figures of Merit Scholarship) and others.
I’m far from an expert (@Wheaty knows much more), but my impression is:
You have to list “Art” as your 1st choice major on the UC App in order to be allowed to submit the Art Supplement, including your portfolio.
The Supplemental Application (due around January 20) is your chance to impress the Art department. It will be reviewed directly by members of the Art faculty, all of whom are professional practicing artists, many internationally known. They will look at the quality and diversity of your work, but also at originality and content. UCLA is of the Conceptual Art movement (John Baldessari was the guru of this for decades, and dominated the art department). What you want to say is as important as how you express it, and “pretty pictures” alone won’t necessarily impress. Your Artist Statement is also very important in this regard, put a lot of time into it.
Based on the Supplemental Application and portfolio review, the Art department then makes recommendations to the Admissions committee. I imagine this is not unlike an Athletics coach telling the Committee which recruits to prioritize. UCLA takes the arts very seriously, and its reputation as one of the top art programs in the country. They want the top art students. The Admissions Committee will need to make sure you are generally a qualified and competitive applicant, but once you meet that threshold they will most likely defer to the Art department.
UCLAs art program also differs from other top programs in several respects:
UCLA only offers a BA degree, unlike the BFA at art schools and many universities containing Schools of Art (Carnegie-Mellon, Cornell, UMichigan). This is on purpose. UCLA believes that studying Art within the broader context of the University and its values will give students a richer experience, and influence their development as artists.
The Art curriculum requires all students to take foundational studio courses in 6 areas (Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, Photography, Ceramics and New Genres) and to take advanced studio courses in at least 4 areas (with Interdisciplinary replacing Drawing at the more advanced level). They believe in interdisciplinarity, and that training across areas will influence the student’s overall artistic development.
The arts are immersed in UCLAs broader mission as a top public research university in service to society. Their are tons of opportunities to do research in the arts, or to apply art as a means of social action.
UCLA Art is part of The School of the Arts and Architecture, which is one of 3 arts-oriented schools all located in proximity to each other on the North Campus - the others being the School of Theater, Film and Television, and the Herb Alpert School of Music. These are all small, highly selective schools. This gives UCLA a unique arts community within a large public university campus, with the benefits of both.
All this exists within the background of LA’s vibrant art, music and entertainment industries, with exposure to artists, galleries, museums, and industries. The opportunities to learn, and to apply creative talents in a broader social context, are endless.
The combination of these makes UCLA a unique place for those with creative talents. I can’t think of anywhere else that has all of these elements.
These are things to consider when writing your arts statement, and considering whether UCLA Art is the right fit for you.
It’s tough - only 5-6% of applicants are admitted. It’s probably not for everyone - you can get superb technical training elsewhere for a fraction of the effort. But it’s an amazing environment for the right student.
Well @renaissancedad manages to nail it in his description of the UCLA Art experience. I can think of maybe 2 things to add: 1) connection to the greater art world and 2) the overall college experience.
There are many internships, summer jobs and introductions that UCLA Art can help art major find. Disney, movie studios, art museums, galleries and so on. Los Angeles is currently the epicenter of a red hot art movement and UCLA Art is very much a part of that. Think gallery openings, Q&A with famous artists, and panel discussions. UCLA Art can help plug you into all of that.
Life on campus is really top notch. UCLA has the very best on-campus dining in the country. Terrific variety with offerings from around the world and top quality. The student population is friendly and large so there is a group for everyone and I strongly recommend joining a few clubs/organizations. Also take in some of the sports events even if you’re not that interested. Watching a basketball game at historic Pauley Pavilion is a MUST and so is getting on one of the buses for the trip to the Rose Bowl to take in a football game. Sample these activities before saying no. Add great weather and great location.
Bonus idea: getting a BA in Art from UCLA puts you in a great position if you have plans for applying to MFA programs in the future. UCLA Art highly regarded and many graduates have gone on to amazing MFA programs around the world.
A couple of minor complaints so far about S1’s art experience:
Time management. 5 weeks was given for 1st sculpture assignment, but next 2 have been squeezed into just over a week each. Not much time to do serious creative work. Seems like poor planning by prof. The quarter system goes by very quickly, so spacing of assignments is key.
Limited studio access. I can understand not being allowed access to dangerous shop equipment, but more of an effort could be made to provide off-hour access. At CMU, for example, all freshmen have a shared studio with 24/7 access, and upperclassmen have their own studios.
S1 learning time management issues, has had to truncate 2nd and 3rd assignments due to time constraints. Not ideal from creative standpoint, but some value in terms of real world time constraints. He wants to work on piece on his own time, but dept won’t allow him to keep work over break, so he’ll have to rent storage; and dept won’t allow him access to sculpture studio next quarter without paying a supplemental fee since he will not formally be enrolled in a sculpture class. This seems cheap, and contrary to what a top program with an interdisciplinary focus should allow. You would think they would encourage students to do work that pushes beyond basic classroom assignments.