OCAD - Prospective Students - Preparing a Portfolio

NATIONAL PORTFOLIO DAY

An education in art and design is a special learning experience. National Portfolio Day is your opportunity to meet professionals from some of the finest design and visual arts schools in North America. It’s not a competition, and no offers of admission will be made. Bring your portfolio, containing no more than 15 pieces of your best work, and have it critiqued by the school of your choice.

OCAD University will host National Portfolio Day on Saturday November 9, 2013 throughout our main campus building at 100 McCaul Street.

At our National Portfolio Day event reviews are held from 12 noon to 4 p.m.. Admission is free. (No preregistration. Doors open at 11:45 a.m.).

What should you bring?
Include a variety of finished pieces in your portfolio that demonstrate your ability to work with a wide range of techniques, materials and subject matter. Drawings may be from direct observation as well as from your imagination and memory. New media or time based work can be included. Work exploring colour, form, mixed media, and 3D approaches are welcome. In addition to finished pieces, your portfolio may include works in progress. Include a sketchbook/creative journal to demonstrate your creative process and work habits. Do not mat or frame your work, or worry about the presentation. The work itself is what is of interest.

No admission decisions or scholarship awards will be offered at National Portfolio Days.

Colleges and Universities that attended OCAD University's 2012 National Portfolio Day:

Alberta College of Art + Design, Calgary AB
Art Center College of Design, Pasadena CA
California College of the Arts, San Francisco CA
California Institute of the Arts(CalArts), Valencia CA
Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland OH
College for Creative Studies, Detroit MI
Columbus College of Art & Design, Columbus OH
Concordia University - Faculty of Fine Arts, Montreal QC
Corcoran College of Art + Design, Washington DC
Ecole Parsons a Paris (Paris College of Art), Paris, France
Emily Carr University, Vancouver BC
FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, Los Angeles CA
Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University, Grand Rapids MI
Lawrence Technological University, Southfield MI
MICA/Maryland Institute of Art, Baltimore MD
Moore College of Art & Design, Philadelphia PA
Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD University), Halifax NS
OCAD University, Toronto ON
Parsons The New School for Design, New York NY
Pratt Institute, Brooklyn NY
PrattMWP, Utica NY
Rhode Island School of Design (RSDI), Providence RI
San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco CA
School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), Chicago IL
School of Visual Arts, New York NY
The Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University, Boston MA
Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond VA

For more information about the National Portfolio Day Association please visit their website.

Representatives from OCAD U attend several National Portfolio Day Events throughout North America. Bring your work, have it critiqued and meet with OCAD U Faculty and staff. Visit us at any of the following National Portfolio Day Events.

Saturday, October 20, 2012: Syracuse National Portfolio Day at Syracuse University College of Visual and Performing Arts, Syracuse NY
Sunday, October 21, 2012: Chicago National Portfolio Day at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago IL
Sunday, October 28, 2012: Michigan National Portfolio Day at the University of Michigan School of Art & Design, Ann Arbor MI
Sunday, November 4, 2012: Boston National Portfolio Day, hosted by the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston at the Hynes Convention Center, Boston MA
Sunday, November 18, 2012: New York National Portfolio Day hosted by Parsons The New School For Design at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York NY
Saturday, December 1, 2012: Vancouver National Portfolio Day at Emily Carr University of Art + Design, Vancouver BC