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The BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications (CFAC) is one of nine colleges at
Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-d ...
, a private university operated by
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ch ...
and located in Provo,
Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
. Founded in 1925, the college has grown from a small college of the arts with minimal faculty and only 100 students to the second largest college on campus. With more than 3,800 students and 141 full-time faculty, the expansive college has spread across the university's campus and occupies six buildings (
Franklin S. Harris Fine Arts Center The Franklin S. Harris Fine Arts Center (HFAC) is the main location for Brigham Young University's (BYU) College of Fine Arts and Communications, housing most of the college's departments and divisions. It consists of several named stages and ...
, George H. Brimhall Building, Jesse Knight Building, Stephen L. Richards Building, B66, and the BYU Museum of Art). With four departments (Dance, Theatre and Media Arts, Art, Design ) and two schools (Communications, Music), the CFAC offers 14 undergraduate degrees (with 38 emphases) and eight graduate degrees. Since 1971, BYU performing arts groups have performed more than 14,000 shows in all 50 states and more than 100 countries of the world. Worldwide audiences totaling more than 12 million people, have also included radio and TV broadcasts reaching billions.


History

Owned and operated by The LDS Church, BYU's CFAC has close ties to The Church's religious history and its members' passion for the arts. As Mormon pioneers crossed the plains in the efforts to reach the Great Salt Lake Valley, many pioneer men and women renewed themselves through music and dancing. Following their arrival in the valley, Church leaders established several different communities and the arts were central to the settlements they erected and were equally important to the pioneers' individual lives.
Brigham Young Academy Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...
was organized in 1875 and shortly after its establishment, a choir was organized to sing at events and religious services. By 1883 the Department of Music was organized as an extracurricular body and by the early 1900s the Academy had a band, orchestra, and choir; music was being integrated into the school's core curriculum and departments of art and speech were both organized. In 1925, under the direction of BYU President
Franklin Stewart Harris Franklin Stewart Harris (August 29, 1884 – April 18, 1960) was president of Brigham Young University (BYU) from July 1921 until June 1945, and president of Utah State University from 1945 to 1950. His administration was the longest in BYU history ...
, the College of Fine Arts was organized with Gerrit de Jong as its first dean. The new college became the first fine arts college in the western United States and brought together the pre-existing departments of music, art and dramatic arts and speech. The music department was initially composed of a vocal and instrumental division. At the time the college was created, the department had limited full-time faculty (Robert Sauer, Franklin Madsen, Florence Jepperson Madsen. and Margaret Summerhays). Each of these faculty members was responsible for conducting all the classes for the department and the school's group ensembles. The art department consisted of Bent Franklin Larsen and Elbert Hindley Eastmond. Within the next decade the faculty gained the skills of Verla L. Birrell, Lynn Taylor, and J. Roman Andrus. The department not only managed the instruction of the arts, but also began a standing collection of art pieces to be housed at the university. By the end of Franklin's administration, the department had accumulated roughly 700 pieces on behalf of the university. The department of public speaking and dramatic arts was originally headed by T. Earl Pardoe. The organization of the college was a major accomplishment for the arts at BYU but the programs lacked a central building. Musicians in need of practice space would often congregate in bathrooms. Rehearsals for plays and productions were held in the Joseph Smith Building in shifts (one in the afternoon, one in the evening, and one starting around midnight). Musical productions struggled to overcome the poor acoustics and lighting in the
Smith Fieldhouse The George Albert Smith Fieldhouse is a 5,000 seat multi-purpose arena in Provo, Utah. Built in 1951, it is the home of the Brigham Young University Cougars volleyball teams and most home gymnastics meets. It was named for George Albert Smith, t ...
however, despite the many space issues, the programs were academically strong and continually succeeded. After attending several rehearsals the 1956 University Accreditation Team reported the arts instruction to be of superior quality and the college began its path to national and international recognition. In the 1958, the university allotted a portion of its budget to construct a fine arts center. The building was projected to cost $5 million, 80 percent of which came directly from the Church. Internationally acclaimed architect William L. Pereira was hired to design the building and construction on the Franklin S. Harris Fine Arts Center (HFAC) began in 1962. It was completed in 1964 at a cost of $7 million making it the most expensive building on campus at the time. While the HFAC was under construction, another major change was made to the college – the university's administration approved the addition of a Department of Communications to the growing college. The department's addition to the college officially changed its name to the College of Fine Arts and Communications. The new department adopted the former Department of
Journalism Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the " news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree. The word, a noun, applies to the occupation (pro ...
(formerly housed in the College of
Humanities Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture. In the Renaissance, the term contrasted with divinity and referred to what is now called classics, the main area of secular study in universities at the t ...
and
Social Sciences Social science is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among individuals within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the original "science of so ...
), the
broadcasting Broadcasting is the distribution of audio or video content to a dispersed audience via any electronic mass communications medium, but typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum ( radio waves), in a one-to-many model. Broadcasting beg ...
program (formerly housed in the Department of Dramatic Arts and the photography program (formerly housed in the Department of Visual Arts. Responding to a request from the university's administration, the college piloted an academic advisement program. In 1973, the College Advisement Center opened its doors. It was the first center of its kind on campus, offering one-on-one consultations to students regarding their class schedules and graduation plans. The pilot program was successful and the College of Fine Arts and Communications Advisement Center became the model for similar centers started across campus. From 1968 to 1974 the Department of Theatre operated the Brigham Young University Touring Repertory Theatre. The program was set up like professional repertory theaters with actors learning multiple parts for multiple productions. The program toured regularly and had a total of approximately 200,000 spectators. In 2003 the BYU Adlab was created and has won numerous student advertising awards. The college continued to undergo numerous changes and transitions over the years, but the most significant change occurred in 2009 when university added the Department of Dance (The department had previously been housed in the former College of Health and Human Performance prior to its dissolution in the summer of 2009.).


Campus

BYU is located in Provo,
Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
, approximately 45 minutes from Utah's capital,
Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the capital and most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in Utah. With a population of 200,133 in 2020, th ...
. The college is principally housed in the
Franklin S. Harris Fine Arts Center The Franklin S. Harris Fine Arts Center (HFAC) is the main location for Brigham Young University's (BYU) College of Fine Arts and Communications, housing most of the college's departments and divisions. It consists of several named stages and ...
(HFAC). Dedicated in 1965, the HFAC is located immediately south of the Brigham Young University Museum of Art north of the Wilkinson Student Center. The HFAC houses the college's administrative offices, the School of Music, the Department of Theatre and Media Arts, the Department of Art, the Department of Design and BYU Arts Production. The HFAC has well over 100 rooms of various types, including 53 practice rooms and four art galleries. The building also has seven pipe organs that are considered to be among the most notable in Utah. The building also has two concert halls, three theatres, and two art galleries. The George H. Brimhall Building was built in 1918 and is located in the southwestern corner of campus and houses the School of Communications. Recently renovated in 2005, the building previously served as the Student Army Training Corps, blacksmithing and wood working facility, mechanics' garage, storage, and eventually journalism and art classes. Today, the building hosts the Advanced Advertising Lab ( BYU Adlab), Bradley Public Relations (BYU's nationally affiliated, student-run firm), ElevenNEWS (daily, student produced broadcast that airs on BYU Television), The Universe (student-produced campus newspaper with an approximate readership of 18,000) the Eye Tracking Lab, as well as three floors of classrooms, computer labs, graduate study rooms, student organization offices, conference rooms, and faculty and administrative offices. Jesse Knight Building (JKB) was built in 1960 and was first occupied by the BYU Commercial College (or business school). After the Tanner Building was built, the JKB became the location of the College of Humanities. However, with the completion of the new Joseph F. Smith building in 2005, most humanities functions were shifted to the new facility and other institutions moved into the building. Currently the JKB is the home of the BYU Police, Freshman Academy administration, Human Resource Development, the Department of Art, the English Writing Center, the Humanities Publications Center, School of Management computer laboratories, and many classrooms. The Stephen L. Richards Building, built in 1971, was named for Stephen L. Richards, a proponent of physical education and good sportsmanship, Richards also served on the BYU Board of Trustees, as assistant commissioner of Church education and as a counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The facility includes three Olympic-size heated swimming pools, numerous dance studios, administrative offices, basketball, volleyball, and racquetball courts, locker rooms, and classrooms. The facility also houses the CFAC's Department of Dance and portions of the School of Music. B66 is an industrial-style building that houses some classrooms and the Department of Visual Arts' ceramic studios. The BYU Museum of Art (MOA) is one of the best attended university-campus art museums in the United States. The museum, which had been discussed for more than fifty years, opened in a 10,000-square-foot (930 m2) space in 1993. According to a 2004 survey, the museum ranked first in attendance among university campus art museums with 334,774 visitors. Among all art museums, the museum comes in 31st in attendance out of 157 member art museums from the United States, Canada and Mexico. The museum displays paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, installations, video, and photography. The permanent collection contains works of art from many renowned artists including
Carl Bloch Carl Heinrich Bloch (23 May 1834 – 22 February 1890) was a Danish artist. Biography He was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, and studied there at the Royal Danish Academy of Art (''Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi'') under Wilhelm Marstrand ...
,
Maynard Dixon Maynard Dixon (January 24, 1875 – November 11, 1946) was an American artist. He was known for his paintings, and his body of work focused on the American West. Dixon is considered one of the finest artists having dedicated most of their art o ...
, Rembrandt,
Norman Rockwell Norman Percevel Rockwell (February 3, 1894 – November 8, 1978) was an American painter and illustrator. His works have a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of Culture of the United States, the country's culture. Roc ...
, Earl W. Bascom and
Minerva Teichert Minerva Bernetta Kohlhepp Teichert (August 28, 1888 – May 3, 1976) was a 20th-century American painter notable for her art depicting Western and Mormon subjects, including a collection of murals depicting scenes from the Book of Mormon. Te ...
. The MOA also houses a café, gift shop, and a small theatre.


Departments and schools


Art

The department offers Bachelor of Art degrees in Art and Art Education, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art. The department also offers graduate degrees in Studio Arts and Art Education. Notable alumni include
Janis Mars Wunderlich Janis Mars Wunderlich (born 1970) is a ceramic artist, currently an assistant professor of art at Monmouth College. Wunderlich was born in Akron, Ohio and received a BFA from Brigham Young University and an MFA from Ohio State University. As she ...
,
Miranda Meeks Miranda Meeks is an American illustrator and digital artist. Her work, mostly digital, has been described as "soft and detailed with a touch of mystery," "haunting atmosphere," and "a dark, haunting aesthetic". Career Meeks studied art and illus ...
, Kathleen Peterson, and Paige Crosland Anderson.


Communications

The Department of Communications was established in 1933, and accredited in 1984. In February 2015, it achieved school status and became The School of Communications. It is currently housed in the Brimhall building, located on the south end of BYU campus. The school offers a bachelor's degree in communications, with various emphases, including Advertising, News Media and Public Relations. The school also offers a master's degree in communications. The school includes various student organizations, such as the American Advertising Foundation (AAF), the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), and the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) to help students prepare for the professional chapters. The BYU Adlab, Bradley Public Relations Agency, The Universe, and ElevenNEWS are also accommodated in the school and building.


Dance

The Department of Dance joined the CFAC on June 1, 2009 after the dissolution of the College of Health and Human Performance bringing all of the arts at BYU under one administrative umbrella. The Department of Dance provides an extensive academic dance program . More than 13,000 students take classes every year in one or more of the department's four areas of emphasis:
ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...
, ballroom,
modern dance Modern dance is a broad genre of western concert or theatrical dance which included dance styles such as ballet, folk, ethnic, religious, and social dancing; and primarily arose out of Europe and the United States in the late 19th and early 20th ...
, and world dance. The department also has offerings in tap,
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
, and aerobic dance. See also BYU Ballroom Dance Company.


Design

The Department of Design prepares students in the following areas of study: Animation, Art Direction, Branding, Character Design, Concept Design, Fine Art Photography, Game Development, Graphic Design, Illustration, Interaction Design, Motion Design, Photography, Videography and Visual Development.


Music

The school is home to audition choirs, bands, and orchestras. The School of Music also runs the New Horizons Orchestra, a program for adults 40 years old and above to teach playing of string instruments. BYU's Opera Workshop is run by the School of Music. The Opera Workshop was begun in 1947 under the direction of Dol L. Earl. Earl directed the Opera Workshop until 1963, when he was succeeded by Brandt Curtis. Clayne Robison became the director of the opera workshop in 1973. BYU has had an orchestra since at least 1925. It was at that time that Leroy Robertson became the director of the BYU Symphonic Orchestra. He served in that position until 1946 when he was succeeded by Lawrence Sardoni. In 1951, Sardoni inaugurated a touring program for the orchestra. From 1964 until 1966 Crawford Gates was the conductor of the orchestra. He was succeeded in 1966 by Ralph G. Laycock. Under Laycock's leadership the orchestra was renamed the Brigham Young University Philharmonic Orchestra, its current name. Currently, Kory Katseanes holds the title of Director of Orchestras within the School of music. He directs both the 98-member Philharmonic Orchestra and the 47-member chamber orchestra, all of whose members are also in the Philharmonic Orchestra. There is also a Symphony Orchestra which functions as the preparatory orchestra for the Philharmonic Orchestra. There are also two non-audition orchestras that are open to any student enrolled at BYU. See also BYU bands and ensembles, BYU
Young Ambassadors __NOTOC__ The Young Ambassadors are a song and dance performing group from Brigham Young University (BYU). Consisting of 20 performers, 10 male and 10 female, they were founded by Janie Thompson in 1969. Since their first international performance ...
and BYU choirs.


Theatre and Media Arts

The college's theatre program is designed to educate students in basic foundations of dramatic literature, theatre history, theory, and performance skills as both an actor and director while providing new, innovative techniques in all areas of theatre design technology and production. The College also supervises the
BYU Center for Animation BYU Center for Animation is an American animation school at Brigham Young University (BYU). The program is a leading university animation program in the United States and has collected 11 student Emmys. Students enter the program through one of t ...
."A look at BYU's animation center"
''
LDS Living Deseret Book () is an American publishing company headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, that also operates a chain of bookstores throughout the western United States. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Deseret Management Corporation (DMC), the ...
'', Utah, 16 August 2010. Retrieved on 5 August 2019.
BYU's theatre students have performed in
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
casts of '' Mamma Mia!'', ''
Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its origin ...
'', ''
Miss Saigon ''Miss Saigon'' is a stage musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby Jr. It is based on Giacomo Puccini's 1904 opera ''Madame Butterfly'', and similarly tells the tragic tale of a doomed roma ...
'', ''
Thoroughly Modern Millie ''Thoroughly Modern Millie'' is a 1967 American musical- romantic comedy film directed by George Roy Hill and starring Julie Andrews. The screenplay, by Richard Morris based on the 1956 British musical ''Chrysanthemum'', follows a naïve you ...
'', '' Hair'', and '' 42nd Street''. Additionally, students have been with the Broadway national tours of '' Cats'', '' Fosse'', ''
Footloose Footloose may refer to: * ''Footloose'' (1984 film), a musical film ** ''Footloose'' (1984 soundtrack) ** "Footloose" (song), performed by Kenny Loggins * ''Footloose'' (2011 film), a remake of the 1984 film ** ''Footloose'' (2011 soundtrack) ...
'', ''
Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, Unit ...
'', ''
Sunset Boulevard Sunset Boulevard is a boulevard in the central and western part of Los Angeles, California, that stretches from the Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades east to Figueroa Street in Downtown Los Angeles. It is a major thoroughfare in ...
'', and '' Annie Get Your Gun''. Graduates have also worked with the Boston Ballet,
Milwaukee Repertory Theater Milwaukee Repertory Theater ("Milwaukee Rep") is a theater company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded as the Fred Miller Theatre Company, the group is housed in the Patty & Jay Baker Theater Complex, which includes the Quadracci Powerhouse Theater, ...
, and the Sacramento Ballet. Film students from the department have created several successful independent films (''
Napoleon Dynamite ''Napoleon Dynamite'' is a 2004 American comedy film produced by Jeremy Coon, Chris Wyatt and Sean Covel, written by Jared and Jerusha Hess and directed by Jared Hess. The film stars Jon Heder in the role of the titular character, a nerdy ...
'', '' God's Army'', '' Saints and Soldiers'', ''
The Singles Ward The Singles Ward franchise includes the original film, ''The Singles Ward'' from 2002 and the 2007 sequel, ''The Singles 2nd Ward'', both directed and written by Kurt Hale and John Moyer. The Singles Ward ''The Singles Ward'' is a 2002 romantic ...
'', '' Out of Step'', '' Brigham City'', and ''
Charly ''Charly'' (marketed and stylized as ''CHAЯLY'') is a 1968 American drama film directed and produced by Ralph Nelson and written by Stirling Silliphant. It is based on ''Flowers for Algernon'', a science-fiction short story (1958) and subseque ...
''). Many students have competed in film competitions including the Sundance Film Festival and Slamdance. Students have also worked on the crews for national television programs (''
Touched by an Angel ''Touched by an Angel'' is an American fantasy drama television series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994, and ran for 211 episodes over nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and executive produced ...
'' and ''
Everwood ''Everwood'' (known as ''Our New Life in Everwood'' in the United Kingdom) is an American drama television series created by Greg Berlanti. Berlanti, Mickey Liddell, Rina Mimoun, Andrew A. Ackerman and Michael Green served as executive produce ...
'').


References


External links


BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications
Official site {{DEFAULTSORT:Byu College Of Fine Arts And Communications College of Fine Arts and Communications Educational institutions established in 1925 University subdivisions in Utah Art schools in Utah Animation schools in the United States 1925 establishments in Utah