Art portfolio workshop serves transferring students

For art majors and enthusiasts, the Citrus College annual Art Portfolio workshop will take place from 12 p.m. until 3 on May 3 in the  CI building in room 159.

The Art Portfolio workshop gives students working toward art degrees an opportunity to strengthen their skills and gain a better idea of what’s needed to transfer. 

Ceramics instructor Mike Hillman said that students get to meet with representatives of different colleges that they might be thinking of going to.

“They can hear the pros and cons of each of the colleges,” Hillman said, “and they’re able to weigh them all out in a verbal way by meeting the representatives instead of having to drive to each of the campuses to meet them.”

Students are able to discuss their potential future with a university with someone who is adept and knowledgeable in their field and college.

The representatives come to the students and they are able to get feedback in person on their portfolios’ strengths and weaknesses.

A portfolio is important to transfer to a university, but it is also important for finding a job.

“Someone in the arts can see the depth of their work- how far they’ve gone in certain skills so they can get hired,” Robin McBurney, fine arts counselor, said. “A portfolio looks good. They’re able to see what you’ve done and what you’re capable of doing.”

Hillman said various speakers, such as industry leaders, come to the workshop to talk about their experiences in the field and help representatives critique the students portfolios.

“One year we had the CEO of Matel and she talked about how Barbie was developed,” Hillman said. “One year we had an expert in ceramics who had designed one of the Gold Line stations.”

“Each year we have a speaker who’s an alumni from Citrus who has gone on to an art school,” Hillman said, “The students get to hear from an expert in the field and their thoughts on how to improve their portfolios.”

Hundreds of students attend the workshop to gain a better insight of their field of interest and it gives them the opportunity to strengthen their portfolios for potential universities or careers.

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