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General Information for Spring 2022
CHAVÓN will continue offering its full-time and short programs in-person and online. Our highest priority is the safety and wellbeing of our community. Read More.
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Portfolio & CHAVÓN Challenge

 

1

File your
application forms

2

Send your
official transcripts

3

Complete your portfolio
and CHAVÓN Challenge

4

Interview

 

Portfolio

The portfolio should demonstrate an applicant’s general ability in the visual arts and highlight any special interests. To be most meaningful, a good portfolio should be comprised of relatively recent work.

Portfolios will be reviewed by an admissions professional and by a faculty member from the department in which they plan to major.

Applicants have to submit their portfolios via the SlideRoom digital platform.

Bootcamp

A free virtual workshop given by members of the CHAVÓN faculty where, after completing the activities and academic content, the applicant will be able to obtain admission to our institution. If the applicant completes this workshop the applicant does not need to submit portfolio and/or CHAVÓN Challenge. 

For majors in: Fine Arts, Graphic & Communications Design, Illustration, Photography, Fashion Design and Interior Design

The portfolio must include a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 15 pieces. Although it should show a range of media, the portfolio can feature drawings, paintings, photographs, films, craft items, sketchbooks and/or designs. It may be completed independently, in school or in other instructional settings.

For majors in: Film

Film applicants may submit a portfolio as described above for Fine Arts and other majors; or they may present audiovisual works, short films or animations in which they had a significant production or creative role. For the in-person interview these should be submitted in high resolution to a USB drive that is compatible with Mac OS. If an interview is not possible, the files may be sent online to the Office of Admissions, as attachments or links via WeTransfer.com, or as a link to Vimeo with a password that expires in no sooner than six months.

Two-page letter of intent stating reasons why applicant wants to be a filmmaker.

One-page essay stating favorite movie and why.

For majors in: Fashion Marketing and Communications

Fashion Marketing and Communications majors are not required to submit a portfolio, but must complete The CHAVÓN Challenge.

The CHAVÓN Challenge

To be submitted simultaneously with the portfolio.

The CHAVÓN Challenge is required of all applicants, except Film. It provides an additional insight into an applicant’s creative and technical abilities as well as his/her approach to the chosen major.

Assignments for The CHAVÓN Challenge Part 1.

All Applicants (Except Film and Fashion Marketing & Communications)

Create an urban streetscape or a rural landscape as a collage, made from either colored paper, torn pages from magazines, other printed materials, or a combination of both. If you wish to use a different two-dimensional material that you think would work as well or better, feel free to do so.

(You may find inspiration here): Inspiration

Assignments for The CHAVÓN Challenge Part 2.

Choose the assignment below that corresponds to your proposed major:
(If your major is undecided, chose the one that appeals to you most at the present time.)

Fine Arts Majors (choose one):

  • Make a self-portrait in charcoal or pencil. It must be created by looking in a mirror – not by copying a photograph.
  • Draw one of your hands in pencil.
  • Make a drawing or painting in the style of Picasso’s 1911-12 painting Ma Jolie. It can be in pencil or in color. (Ma Jolie {My Pretty Girl} was a popular song sung at a club in Paris that Picasso frequented. That may be why he included a treble clef and the song’s title.)
  • For an image of Ma Jolie, see the following link: Image

Illustration Majors (choose one):

  • Illustrate passages from The Little Prince. Include three or four images representing different scenes from the story.
  • Create an illustration to be included in an advertisement for a soft drink and make an illustration for a poster for your favorite band (you do not have to include the lettering).
  • Illustrate a scene from a major historical event.
  • Create and illustrate a greeting card, including its text.

Fashion Design Majors:

  • One page essay that indicates your favorite brand and why.
  • After choosing your favorite brand, create a project that contains: A mood board to create a new concept for that brand and then design a “Capsule” collection with the following conditions:

(“Capsule” refers to a collection that contains varying essential and commercial pieces that do not go out of style with the main objective of being practical. It must contain pants, skirts, dresses, blouses, shirts, coats, jackets to be complemented with pieces of the season).

  • A minimum of 5 sets of clothes or “outfits” (for women, men or neutral). The 5 outfits must be illustrated by hand or mixed media and presented all on an A3 page. (This will not be required since the portfolios are delivered digitally via SlideRoom) with the name of the collection, your name and the name of the chosen brand.

The outfits can be of the following categories:

  • Ready to Wear
  • Street wear
  • Haute Couture
  • Conceptual
  • Sportswear

Interior and Product Design Majors:

This career does NOT request a portfolio – just chavon challenge.

1. CHAVÓN CHALLENGE
Steps:

  • Investigate one of the following design styles: Neoclassical, Memphis,Minimalist or Nordic. Choose one, and create a mood board composed of images representing the style. include the materials, colors and concept you are proposing.
  • Design a space: Draw two views of the space in perspective applying floor materials, walls, tones, textures. You must justify the decisions keeping in mind the time period and style investigated.
  • Draw and design period furniture inspired by the chosen style. The process must have 5 sketches or versions of the furniture with freehand drawing.

RULES FOR PRESENTATION:

  • Free scale 
  • Include freehand sketches.
  • Format:
    • 3 Boards size 11 “x 17”, PDF.


2. You must submit via SlideRoom a letter explaining the reasons why you want to study The Interior and Product Design Associates Degree. On a separate page, you must explain who your favorite Interior and/or product designer is and why.

Graphic & Communications Design (choose one):

  • Design a poster for a concert or feature film;
  • Design a homepage for your own website;
  • Design a logo for a restaurant or a clothing store;
  • Submit six photographs that could be used to illustrate the cover story of a popular magazine. (You can choose a different magazine for each photo or shoot them all for the same publication.)
  • Create a story-board for a 30-second TV advertisement for either a car or for perfume.

Photography Majors (choose one):

  • Submit a minimum of eight photographs, at least two of which are black and white: Include a photographic self-portrait. Then create a series of photos that tell a story; it can be about a historical or current event, a book or article you have read, something important from your own life or pure fantasy. Use your imagination – you have a lot of latitude in choosing a topic.
  • Submit a minimum of eight photographs, at least two of which are black and white: Include a posed portrait taken with artificial lighting; a still-life; a landscape; a city-scape; a photo of all or part of a piece of machinery and a photo you might take if you were a news photographer covering a story.
  • Photos must be no smaller than 8” x 10”.

Fashion Marketing and Communications Majors:

Neither a portfolio nor section one of The CHAVÓN Challenge is required, but you must complete the following requirements.

Merchandising & Product Retail: Development of a pop-up store with a promotional character in response to seasonality.

  • Select the brand
  • Display the conceptualization of the pop-up store through a mood board
  • Define the target audience: sex, age range, socioeconomic status and lifestyle
  • Identify the store format and location:
    • Premises
    • Container
    • Kiosk
  • Design the pop-up store 
  • Define and breakdown the budget 
  • Propose and justify the brand experience 

STYLIST: Fashion editorial development addressing the preproduction, production and postproduction process

  • Select the brand and the magazine
  • Identify market and consumer trends  
  • Present the headline and inspiration
  • Work the photographic shooting:
    • From 3 to 5 photographs 
    • Add the collaborations of Styling, Photography, Model, etc.
  • Create the mock-up of the fashion editorial, including:
    • Headline
    • Inspiration
    • Photo shooting accompanied by collaborations

FASHION JOURNALIST: Development of interview with local or international emerging designer

  • Select the fashion designer 
  • Study the fashion designer 
  • Define the purpose of the interview 
  • Build the questionnaire proposal:
    • Open questions 
    • 10 to 15 questions
  • Conduct and complete the interview face-to-face or by videoconference

Diagram the interview including brief biography and photography

Film Majors:

Film majors are not required to submit The CHAVÓN Challenge. Applicants to this program will be evaluated on the basis of their academic records, interview, portfolio, letter of intent and essay.

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