Portfolio Submission 

Your portfolio is an opportunity to share your creativity, technical skills, and artistic interests. Once you have submitted your Common Application you will have access to your VCU applicant portal to upload your portfolio. As you prepare your submission, keep the following guidelines in mind:

  • Upload 12–16 individual works created within the past two years.
  • Show your artistic commitment, curiosity, creativity, and technical abilities.
  • Include work that demonstrates experimentation, a variety of techniques or subject matter, and evidence of critical thinking and creative problem-solving.
  • Your portfolio can feature a mix of 2D, 3D, and 4D media, or it can focus on a single medium.
  • Drawings from direct observation (people, places, or objects from life) are encouraged but not required.
  • Original work is important. Avoid copying artwork or using character designs from other artists or existing media properties.
  • For each piece, include:
    • A title
    • A brief description
    • Dimensions
    • The medium and/or software used to create the work, including any artificial intelligence (AI) image-generation tools, if applicable

Upload Tips

  • Upload each artwork as its own file. Please do not combine multiple pieces into a single PDF or PowerPoint.
  • Once you’ve uploaded 12 individual files, your portfolio will be automatically submitted for review. There is no separate “Submit” button.

Need Feedback?

If you’d like guidance before submitting your portfolio, you can schedule a virtual one-on-one portfolio review with a VCUarts representative or meet with us at a National Portfolio Day event for individualized feedback.