National Portfolio Days

National Portfolio Days (NPD) are annual events held in multiple locations across the United States, Canada and Europe. They are designed to provide a unique opportunity for you to meet individually with professional representatives of accredited colleges and universities and receive valuable feedback and guidance on your portfolio before you submit it as part of your application.

No admission decisions or scholarship awards will be offered to you at National Portfolio Days. Some college and university representatives may accept your portfolio as the visual portion of your application. Others have restrictions that prohibit them from making a definitive portfolio decision at the time of your review. All representatives will be happy to discuss their specific programs of study and provide answers to questions about the availability of scholarships and financial aid.

You will not find National Portfolio Days to be an examination or competition, the events are about an exchange of information. The representatives want to learn about you, your work, and your post-secondary plans, all while informing you about their college or university and application requirements. These events may be the first time you have been in an environment with so many people in one place who all share a powerful commitment to art and design.

Use this as an opportunity to be inspired, to gain advice as to how to improve or present your portfolio, and to experience a small taste of what it is like to attend a professional art and design program.

The National Portfolio Day Association (NPDA) was established in 1978 solely for the organization and planning of National Portfolio Day events.

Today, the Association continues this work and has broadened its mission to provide support to professionals advising students on portfolio development for college/university admission.

Consisting of more than 100 post-secondary institutions that hold regional accreditation and accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), or its equivalent, NPDA is the only organization of its kind and its membership represents the highest standard of visual arts education available in the world.

For more information, visit nationalportfolioday.org

If you are thinking of pursuing a post-secondary education in art or design, whether coming in at the undergrad or graduate level, you will likely have to include a portfolio of your work, as part of your application. All of our member schools are accredited art or design universities and colleges and our events provide students with a unique opportunity to meet one on one with professional representatives. These reps are there for you to ask questions about their programs, and most importantly, get feedback on how to improve your portfolio so it will be a successful part of your application.

Bring a portfolio of visual artwork that includes 10-12 pieces of your best and most recent work, including finished pieces, works in progress, sketchbooks, and tear sheets.

Portfolios can be physical or presented digitally. If bringing a digital portfolio please note that Wi-Fi may not be available in all areas and students will need to supply a laptop, tablet, or printed pieces to present to reviewers. Most reviews are 10 to 15 minutes in length.

Be ready to share your creative process. Explaining how you develop ideas and where you want to take them can be just as important as the final product.

You’ll receive feedback from a variety of schools, each with its own admissions priorities. We encourage you to meet with as many college representatives as possible.

Not ready to show your portfolio? That’s okay! You’re still welcome to attend and gather valuable information from participating schools.

Saturday,
October 4, 2025
12­–4 PM
Richmond, VA

Address:
Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts
Murry N. DePillars Building
1000 West Broad Street Richmond, VA 23220

Parking is available in the West Broad Street Parking Deck
1111 W. Broad Street, Richmond, VA

View the DePillars Building on our interactive map.

Yes! Our representatives will be attending other National Portfolio Days listed in the table below. You can also visit the National Portfolio Day Association website for a full list of all other National Portfolio Day events and registration details.