4 Things You Should Know About Applying to Art School

An art school application is not like an application to like Oregon State University or even UCLA. No, an art school application will be heavy on creativity and proving your ability to think way outside the box. Not only are art schools looking for talented artists – but they are also looking for individuals that will add to the creative dialogue of an art school. If you don’t have anything to offer the school and the other students, you may not get accepted. Plus, you don’t have to be Leonardo Di Vinci to get into art school – you need to show a passion for the arts. Moreover, your degree won’t only allow you to get into the fine arts field – a degree will give you the chance to exist in multiple artistic milieus and ecosystems within the art world. Here are four things you should know about applying to art school.

1. You, Will, Need to Present a PortfolioApplying to Art School

Before you even think of applying to art school, you need to spend some time building your portfolio. You want to show the school that you have previous work that you have been devoting your time to. If you don’t have work to show, it will be hard for an art school to gauge where your artistic maturity is. Usually, you can work with your high school art teacher to develop a series that you can show the admissions department at an art school.

2. It’s Okay if You aren’t the Best Artist

When it comes to your portfolio, you don’t necessarily need to show that you are the best artist. In some cases, you may want to show that you can curate really well, or look at art in a unique way. When you graduate, you may want to become a gallery director versus an artist. If that is the case, you probably want to get RU’s bachelors in business administration degree, or another degree in the business sector, so that you can bridge a gap between your artistic background and have the educational faculty to run a gallery.

3. There are Art Schools All Over the World

If you don’t want to apply to an art school in the States, you may want to think about going overseas. In some instances, going to school abroad will breathe new life into your interest in art. You could travel to Paris, Spain or some other magical location. Many of these locations also have a long artistic history, so you can go to many museums and experience some of your heroes first hand. It is also nice to be inspired by a foreign landscape.

4. Write a Killer Artist Bio and Statement

On top of everything, you want to be sure that your application has the best artist bio and statement. This may take some brainstorming because you want your statement to be honest but also exemplify your desire to grow and learn within the artistic field. In the end, your statement will determine whether an art school believes you can be an asset in their classrooms.