Support your IB Visual Arts students with this ready-to-teach introduction to the Art-making Inquiries Portfolio for the new IB Visual Arts curriculum.

This resource is designed for IB DP Visual Arts teachers who need a clear, structured way to introduce the Art-making Inquiries Portfolio and help students begin building their own submission. It includes both a teacher lesson PowerPoint and a student-friendly portfolio template that students can use to start organising their own visual evidence, process work, artist investigations, inquiry questions and reflections.

The Art-making Inquiries Portfolio can feel overwhelming for students, especially when they are still making resolved artworks. This resource breaks the task down into clear screens, guiding prompts and practical checkpoints so students understand what to include and how to connect their making, thinking and refinement.

What is included:

Teacher PowerPoint introducing the Art-making Inquiries Portfolio
Student PowerPoint template for building their own portfolio
Clear explanation of the portfolio requirements
Overview of the assessment criteria
Student-facing guidance for Criteria A, B, C and D
Screen-by-screen portfolio structure
Prompts for exploration and experimentation
Prompts for practical artist investigation
Prompts for lines of inquiry
Prompts for critical review and refinement
Image placeholders for process photos and artwork evidence
Annotation prompts to help students explain decisions
Sources / bibliography guidance
Mock submission checklist

Ideal for:

IB DP Visual Arts teachers
SL and HL Visual Arts students
Introducing the new Art-making Inquiries Portfolio
Year 12 / DP1 or Year 13 / DP2 portfolio preparation
Coursework lessons
Independent student studio work
Portfolio catch-up sessions
Visual Arts assessment preparation

Why this resource is useful:

Many IB Visual Arts students struggle to understand that the Art-making Inquiries Portfolio is not simply a final artwork document. It is about showing how their art-making develops through inquiry. This resource helps students understand how to document process, experimentation, artist influence, inquiry questions, decision-making and refinement.

The student template gives learners a clear starting point, reducing confusion and helping them build a portfolio that is visually organised, purposeful and connected to the assessment criteria.