The Department of Advertising Design and Graphic Arts (ADGA), New York City College of Technology (City Tech), will conduct its third annual student portfolio review on Thursday, May 24, from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. The review will take place in the Times Square offices of Adobe Systems Inc., the host of the event.

More than 90 graduating ADGA students will present their work to City Tech faculty and industry professionals in a series of 45-minute sessions. ADGA hopes to attract enough outside attendance so that each student’s portfolio can be critiqued by two or three experts in related fields.

“As in previous years, one of our goals is to gather information that will help us keep our curriculum relevant to the current needs of industry and its employing companies,” said M. Genevieve Hitchings, assistant professor, ADGA. “Portfolio reviews also let students practice their interview skills and receive honest feedback on their work in a non-competitive environment.”

“Most important, portfolio reviews also give senior-level students an opportunity to network with potential employers,” Hitchings said.

The reviews will begin at 3:30 p.m. and run at 45-minutes intervals until 7:15 p.m. At 7:30 p.m., ADGA will announce three winners for the most outstanding portfolios.

Industry members wishing to take part in the reviews should RSVP to [email protected]. Pre-registration is necessary for admission to the space being provided by Adobe at 1540 Broadway, New York, NY, on the 17th floor (entrance on 45th Street). 

ADGA has promoted the event with a postcard designed by one of its students, Alfredo Lopez, who specializes in web and mobile design, online advertising, and brand identity. Printing was provided by Duggal Visual Solutions, which ran the job on an HP Indigo 5500 digital color press at its production center in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Duggal, a supporter of City Tech, also has hosted field trips that introduce ADGA students to many of the latest technologies for graphic imaging and reproduction.  

ADGA held its first portfolio review at the Openhouse Gallery in SoHo  in December 2010. Last year, the event took place at the Type Director’s Club in midtown Manhattan.

With an enrollment of about 1,300 students, ADGA is the largest academic department at City Tech. It offers degree programs in the career tracks of advertising and graphic design, interactive media, broadcast graphics, illustration, and graphic arts management. 

ADGA graduates have gone on to successful careers at Condé Nast, The New York Times, Hearst, Essence Inc., Deutsch, EURO RSCG, DraftFCB, Grey Advertising, and many other firms.