Creative Arts and Digital Media Pathway

Your portfolio should be a collection of your best work—a snapshot of your artistic journey. Faculty are eager to learn more about your current skills and future goals in visual art. From classic to cutting-edge, Saint Francis welcomes artists of all styles. Whether you’re a painter, a sculptor, a digital wizard, a graphic design guru or a mixed media maestro, there’s a place for you here.

Below is information on what to include, what to expect, and tips.

What to Include (If Applicable)

• A strong foundation. Include pieces that demonstrate your fundamental skills in drawing, painting, ceramics, sculpture and other core techniques.
• Personal style. Showcase works that reflect your unique artistic vision and interests.
• A variety of media. Experiment with different materials and techniques to highlight your versatility.
• Your process. Consider including your sketchbook, studies or work-in-progress pieces to reveal your creative process.
• Classwork and personal projects. Anything goes, but please only include work from the last two years. We want to see what you are currently working on!
• Digital images. If your work is large or difficult to transport, submit high-quality digital images instead.

What to Expect

• Feedback. Faculty will provide constructive criticism and suggestions for improvement.
• Questions. Be prepared to answer questions about your work, your artistic goals and your interest in the program.
• Portfolio evaluation. Your portfolio will be evaluated based on technical skill, creativity and overall artistic merit.

Tips for Success

• Quality over quantity. Focus on presenting your best work rather than including a large number of pieces (15 pieces max).
• Presentation matters. Ensure your portfolio is well-organized, visually appealing and easy to handle. No need for fancy framing or matting. Just let your art shine!
• Be prepared to discuss. Practice talking about your work and be ready to articulate your artistic intentions.

Visual Art portfolio reviews take place at the University of Saint Francis Mimi and Ian Rolland Art Center located on the main campus at 1014 St. Francis Drive (formerly Leesburg Road), Fort Wayne, IN 46808.

Faculty are excited to learn about your musical journey, your current skills, and your future goals with music technology. Whether you’re a beat-making producer, a jazz musician, a songwriter, a vocal powerhouse, a live performer, an instrumentalist or a live sound or production sound engineer, we want to hear from you! From contemporary ensembles like the Electronic Music Ensemble and Rock Band to more traditional groups like Jazz and Choir, there’s something for everyone.

The faculty you meet with will be interested in hearing about your background and current musicianship level, as well as your goals with music technology. Some students audition on specific instruments (e.g. trumpet, guitar, drums), vocal or bring in portfolios of various beats, mixes or tracks they have made.

Below is information on what to include, what to expect, and tips. You will only need to worry about what applies to you. For example, if you want to audition on an instrument, then you should be prepared to play or perform a song of your choosing.

What to Include (If Applicable)

• Demos or recordings. Share your music production skills with examples of original tracks, remixes or beats you’ve created.
• Software proficiency. Show your expertise in music production software—whether it’s DAWs like Ableton Live, FL Studio, Logic Pro or others.
• Performance. Be prepared to play or perform a song of your choosing.
• Composition and arrangement. Highlight your ability to create and arrange original compositions, whether for a live performance or electronic production.
• Technical skills. Demonstrate your understanding of sound design, mixing, mastering and other essential audio engineering concepts.
• Musical background. Share details about your musical experience, training or self-taught journey in areas like production, performance or songwriting.

What to Expect

• Technical evaluation. Faculty will assess your proficiency in music technology, including beat-making, production software and audio engineering principles.
• Creative evaluation. You’ll have the chance to showcase your original work, whether through beats, compositions or live performance, and demonstrate your creative vision.
• Musical background assessment. Faculty may ask about your training, background or experience in music production or performance.
• Feedback. Faculty will provide constructive feedback, highlighting your strengths and areas for growth.

Tips for Success

• Showcase your best work. Present demos or recordings that represent your top-level production skills and creativity.
• Be prepared to perform. Perform, play or sing a song of your choosing during your audition.
• Be ready to discuss. Be prepared to talk about your creative process, musical influences and goals for your future in music technology.
• Show your versatility. Highlight your ability to work across different genres or production styles.

Music Technology portfolio reviews or auditions take place at the University of Saint Francis Music Technology Center in downtown Fort Wayne located at 431 W Berry Street, Fort Wayne, IN 46808.

The Fort Wayne Ballet Conservatory at the University of Saint Francis is an exciting partnership between the university and the Fort Wayne Ballet, which offers a four-year undergraduate academic program in dance. Practical experience in the form of classes in classical ballet, modern dance, dance history and theory, pedagogy, choreography and performing in productions are an important part of the learning experience. All dance courses take place at the Fort Wayne Ballet’s studios in downtown Fort Wayne.

Additionally, Saint Francis offers generous scholarships including substantial merit scholarships. For Dance majors, we offer a $2,000 talent scholarship in addition to academic scholarships. Endowed scholarships funded by donors and alumni are also available.

Auditions are required for full acceptance into the dance program.

In-Person Auditions

For in-person auditions, students will participate in a Fort Wayne Ballet class. The faculty will review the performance and make a scholarship recommendation based on the following criteria that apply:

• Technique
• Musicality
• Artistic quality
• Interview

Students should bring a copy of the following for their audition:

• A dance resume
• A headshot
• Letter of Recommendation from your current dance teacher (if you can obtain one)

Students should be prepared to perform the following for their audition:

• Barre
• Pliés
• Tendu
• Dégagé
• Rond de Jambe
• Frappé, Petit Battement
• Grand Battement
• Center (Sur les Pointes, if applicable)
• Center Adagio
• Pirouettes
• Petit Allegro
• Grand Allegro

Dance auditions take place at the Fort Wayne Ballet located in downtown Fort Wayne inside the Auer Center for Arts and Culture at 300 E Main Street, Fort Wayne, IN 46808.

Digital Auditions

Can’t attend in person? Please submit a digital audition with the following requirements. We are also happy to set up a virtual meeting with Karen Gibbons-Brown, the Fort Wayne Ballet Artistic Director, or Miles Fulwider, the Dance Program Director.

For a digital audition, please submit:

• A recorded solo performance (up to three minutes) in a dance discipline of your choice.
  Note: The Saint Francis program is rooted in classical ballet.
• A dance resume
• A headshot
• Letter of Recommendation from your current dance teacher (if you can obtain one)
• A recorded class no longer than 15 minutes that includes the following:
  • Barre
  • Pliés
  • Tendu
  • Dégagé
  • Rond de Jambe
  • Frappé, Petit Battement
  • Grand Battement
  • Center (Sur les Pointes, if applicable)
  • Center Adagio
  • Pirouettes
  • Petit Allegro
  • Grand Allegro