Student presentations are the last step in the project. Becoming comfortable presenting your artwork to others is a part of the Prima Materia art training. 

These practice sessions is when you begin to recognize: “I can actually do this! I can talk about myself and my art in front of others!” Scheduling your presentation incentivizes you to get organized. It's almost magical: deadlines give you purpose and energy, and even more clarity.

Preparing your presentation helps you look back at your experience, what you’ve learned through both your mistakes and your successes. Maybe you had a major breakthrough during this project and maybe you didn’t, that’s not the point. To be able to speak sincerely and authentically to others, in a safe environment, will help you distill the benefits, new skills, and acknowledge how you’ve grown as an artist and a person.  

Here is a tip: prepare your presentation in writing, so you can read it a few times, before you present, and time yourself reading it out loud, as if you are presenting it to the group.

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Presentation schedule

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Your Presentation

Your presentation should be 5 to 10 minutes, as you want to leave enough time for questions and answers.

1. ABOUT YOU: Your first / last name, what grade you are in, if you are a student. If not, what you are doing: job, gap year, whatever is happening in your life. 

2. ABOUT THE PROGRAM: Where you are in the Prima Materia program: is this your first year, first month, second quarter, etc. - how long you have been taking classes at Prima Materia.

3. ABOUT THE PROJECT:

• Title of the project, any specific requirements you were given, the tools, materials, ideas. 
• Your understanding of the objective of the project. 
• What was unusual about this assignment. 
• What was the theme you’d chosen.

4. FUN FACTS (IF APPLICABLE): Can include interesting and relevant facts about your reference: authors, country, century, etc. Is there any text depicted? 

5. BACKGROUND: Any interesting facts that can help us learn something from your presentation. 

6. TITLE & SIZE: Title you’ve given to your piece (or how you refer to it); your canvas size: H”xW”. 

7. PROCESS:

• Insight about your process: for example, how you had searched for your subject, found the right paint and tools, how you worked on your painting, some curious facts: tricks you had to invent to accommodate your tools.
• Anything about your process that is unique or that you feel is original.
• An instance when you got stopped and what you did to get unstopped.   
• Did you receive any advice or comment that helped you resolve your piece?

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8. BENEFITS:

• How do you see this piece fit into your portfolio? If you are not in the Portfolio Program, you can skip this question. 
• Your big takeaway from completing this project.
• How this work helped improve your painting ability, your confidence, your deeper understanding of painting. 

In one word, sum up your experience (“Frustrating”, “Expanding”, “Grand”, Transformational”, “Wow”, etc.). Put emotion behind it: if it was frustrating, be frustrated, if it was exciting, be excited.

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Please Help Other Presenters Get the Most Out of Their Experience:

• Before the class, get ready to enjoy the show. Get comfortable, get yourself a cup of coffee, etc.
• Mute yourself.
• Make sure to have a piece of paper and pen to take notes that you may want to share with the artist.
• Ask questions, request clarifications, provide feedback, share about what you especially liked.
• Be courteous and respectful but don't hold back, and be comfortable offering productive criticism: for example, is there anything, in your opinion, that can be improved?