Student Portfolios

July 14, 2015

I am often asked “what is the best way to create a great portfolio?” To which my typical answer is “make great art.” It may sound trite but the fact of the matter is, whether it is for high school (Bergen Academies), college or the professional level, the process of creating a portfolio ultimately comes down to having amazing objects that demonstrates your uniqueness…and your technical capability.

At One River, we focus on growing our student’s ability to THINK differently which promotes their ability to CREATE differently. That is why you may want to register your child for one of our PORTFOLIO CAMPS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL. It is true that every portfolio has to demonstrate baseline skills in drawing and painting and we cover those bases. But, we will make sure that their personality shows through and individuality is really what people look for the most.

I am proud to say that we have helped numerous students get into amazing art schools. I am more proud to say that some of our teen students are already doing professional level artwork. So, for me the end game is this. HAVE FUN. MAKE AMAZING ARTWORK. STRETCH YOUR SKILLS. BE ORIGINAL = Create a great portfolio.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Matt Ross

Matt Ross is the Founder of One River School of Art + Design. Since 2012, One River has grown from one location in Englewood, NJ to fifteen schools in six states with a goal to “transform art education” across America. Prior to One River School, Matt was the CEO of School of Rock, where he built the company into the world leader in music education for kids. Prior to his experience with School of Rock, Matt held a variety of management positions in broadcasting, working for diverse media companies such as Clear Channel, CBS and Viacom. He is also active in promoting Autism awareness and supporting emerging artists and is passionate about collecting Contemporary Art with a focus on painting, mixed media and drawing.