Seniors entering a portfolio must also include an Artist or Writer Statement and a Personal Statement. These two short essays must be less than 500 words each and should address different aspects of your work and the inspiration you’ve drawn from your own life and experiences.

The Artist or Writer Statement is a place to discuss your portfolio specifically. Consider what you’d want a viewer or reader to understand about your portfolio, and tell us about the creative processes you used to form the six works contained within. Did you make deliberate decisions about materials, color, imagery, and processes (for art portfolios) or voice and literary devices (for writing portfolios)? You can also share the key ideas, issues, or goals within the portfolio. Since your Artist or Writer Statement may be viewed by jurors during the awards selection process, we ask that you do not include any personally identifying information such as your name or the name of your school.  

The Personal Statement is a place to tell a story about yourself, describing an experience that demonstrates your character or helped make you who you are. For instance, you might consider a significant challenge or setback that you’ve experienced and tell us how it shaped you and your creative career as an artist or writer. How did you respond to the challenge, how did it affect you, and what did you learn?

The Artist or Writer Statement and Personal Statement are an opportunity to share more of what makes your work original and what makes you YOU, so be sure to take advantage of this space. We can’t wait to see what you enter!