On The Web
Featured Winners
What is a Portfolio?
A portfolio is a body of work that represents you as an artist or writer. In the same way actors, dancers, and musicians audition for the performing arts, artists and writers present portfolios to "audition" for colleges, scholarships, and other opportunities in the visual and literary arts. Even after graduating from college, you'll find that creative jobs often require you to submit a portfolio of your work. As you continue on your educational and career path, putting together an effective portfolio will become an important part of showcasing your work.
The Process Portfolio
The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers requires Young Artists and Young Scholars applicants to submit Process Portfolios. The selection committee will be looking for portfolios that demonstrate originality, technical skill, and personal vision or voice, as well as a thoughtful process. Do not worry about: “What the judges are looking for.” Instead, present works that best represent you as a unique and accomplished artist or writer.
» View an example of an Art Process Portfolio
» View an example of a Writing Process Portfolio
Three works are required for the Process Portfolio
- 1) Your Gold Key-winning work from The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards of 2010.
- 2) Another example of your best art/writing.
Choose a work that best demonstrates originality, technical skill, and personal vision or voice. This work should show how your work is different from other teen artists/writers. This may be another award-winning work or a work that you think is exceptional.
Tip: Stay away from common themes that you often see. Your goal should be to show how you are a unique artist or writer. - 3) A work in progress. This may be a work that you've begun but have not finished, or a work that you're about to finish.
This is the most important work for the Process Portfolio. Every artist/writer has a different approach to how s/he creates a work from the initial idea to the final product. Choose a work that represents various stages of one piece artwork or writing.
Tip: On the application form, you will be asked why you included each of the works in your process portfolio. Be sure to mention why you've included each of the documents (listed below) in your answer.
Tip: You will find examples listed below of documentation that you may want to include. Try to include a variety of these documents. You are not limited to these examples. - EXAMPLES FOR ARTISTS
(Please note that all artwork and images are submitted as JPGs on a CD-Rom)- Notes
- Idea sketches
- Technique studies (shading activities, color mixing studies, experimental techniques practiced on scrap paper, etc.)
- Photographs showing progression of the work
- Mock-ups (i.e. miniature models for sculpture or architecture design, etc.)
- Contact sheets and early prints (Photography)
- Unedited footage (Film, Video and Animation)
- Brainstorming
- Clustering
- Free Writing
- Other Pre-writing activities
- Notes and research
- Early drafts
- Drafts with editing marks
- Revised drafts
Questions? Contact: youngartists@artandwriting.org
Sponsors
