Students from the College of Fine Arts and Communications travel internationally to gain real-world experience and share their talents while studying abroad, competing, performing and interning

Professor Jason Bergman and student Neal Hillam hope that others in the brass community benefit from their experience with Hillam’s metal allergy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6I2koKZUFRk BYU students from the School of Communications and the Department of Design came together to create ‘Handimojis’ — an ASL-friendly version of Apple’s ‘Animoji’ BYU students Sam Carlson, Amanda Rasmussen and Coni Ramirez were given an assignment in their advertising class — create an idea that uses technology to connect customers to a brand. The result of this project extended beyond the classroom walls and has encouraged a wider conversation about inclusivity and diversity. Carlson knew he wanted this project to focus on the deaf community because of his deep admiration of American Sign Language and deaf culture — a respect he gained while serving an ASL mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and working as an ASL teaching assistant for BYU. During the brainstorming phase, Carlson proposed to Rasmussen and Ramierez that they use the idea of Apple’s Animoji technology and add the ability to depict hand movement. This would allow users who couldn’t previously use the feature to have access to Animoji technology in a new, exciting and personalized way. In addition to using this for their class project, the team decided to enter ‘Handimojis’ into the Future Lions advertising competition. The challenge for the competition was to “connect an audience of your choosing to a product or service from a global brand in a way that wasn’t possible three years ago.” ‘Handimojis’ fit the goal of the competition, so they decided to make the April 15 deadline. When the team presented the idea of ‘Handimojis’ to their BYU class, they were met with hesitation as many people were under the assumption that it would be impossible for deaf users to be able to hold their phone and use ‘Handimojis’ at the same time. However, the team explained that deaf people already use just one hand when video chatting on the phone. The new feature could be easily integrated into the existing culture. The team enlisted the help of Britta Schwall, a member of the Salt Lake Deaf Community, to sign in the one minute and 15 second video clip. After they finished shooting the footage of Schwall and others from the Salt Lake Deaf Community, there was still an integral part missing — the animation for the ‘Handimojis’ hands. This task proved to be the most challenging aspect of bringing ‘Handimojis’ to life. The three advertising students knew what they wanted but didn’t have the skills themselves to execute the 3D graphics for ‘Handimojis.’ As the team hurried to find someone to do the animation before the upcoming competition deadline, they turned to the Department of Design and its animation students. They eventually got in contact with Emily Ellis, who had just learned in her animation class the exact skills and techniques that would be required to complete the ‘Handimojis’ idea. “Emily was the answer to our prayers,” said Carlson. “With four days until the deadline, she pulled off some kind of magic. Seeing her animation was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen — it was exactly how we imagined it.” Rassmussen took Ellis’ animations and added them into the video only hours before the Future Lions competition deadline. Although the team’s idea didn’t advance in the competition, the team felt proud of their work and commitment to include a group of people that had previously been excluded from using Animojis. Schwall asked the team for permission to share their video on her Facebook to show what she had helped with. While the post was initially intended for Schwall’s immediate family and friends, the post now has over 48k views and 800 shares. Many of the comments on the post ask if ‘Handimojis’ is available for download or mention they weren’t able to find it in the App Store. While this app hasn’t been picked up by Apple, these comments show high interest and appreciation for this idea created by BYU students. “Seeing how the Deaf community reacted to it was more fulfilling than winning any award,” said Carlson. “It was a reminder to me why I first got involved with advertising — there's so much good and positive change we can be a part of.” Read additional coverage at ABC4.

BYU professor Diane Reich accompanied three students to a national vocal competition Members of the BYU School of Music made a favorable impression on and off the stage at the annual Classical Singer National Convention Competition, which took place in Chicago at the end of May this year. The Classical Singer National Convention Competition is a multi-round elimination contest for both students and non-students. BYU students Josie Larsen, Abigail Yingling Ketch and Courtney Lawson competed in this year’s convention. All three passed the preliminary round, qualifying them to continue to the national round. “Any opportunity to perform, get feedback and experience the discipline of the profession is very valuable,” said vocal performance professor Diane Reich. “Classical Singer Music (CSMUSIC) is one of the prominent organizations for rising singers in our country. Our students were seen by numerous universities and vocal programs — exposure which could be beneficial after their studies at BYU.” Reich and fellow BYU vocal performance professor Darrell Babidge mentored the three students and supported them as they competed against some of the top classical singers in the country. “I know how hard these students work all year long, so it was wonderful to see them apply their training in a competitive situation — and do well,” said Reich. Read the rest of the story at music.byu.edu.

Assistant stage manager Susan Kupferer discusses lessons learned on tour

Students from the BYU School of Communications and the Department of Design competed in an event hosted by one of the most prestigious graphic design and advertising organizations in the world BYU design and advertising students dominated at The One Club for Creativity competition held each year in New York City — considered to be one of the top international award competitions for advertising and graphic design students. While the categories for these awards are vast, recognition in even one category showcases excellence in creativity and is a high honor. Collectively, BYU took home a new school record of awards during this year’s One Club for Creativity competition. Six advertising students and one graphic design student received gold for their portfolio submissions — more than any other university. To win a portfolio award, students must submit their best pieces in a portfolio as a single unit, which the judges — approximately 10 industry leaders from various artistic specialities — will look at collectively. This year, The One Club for Creativity reported that there were 8,751 portfolios submitted from designers in 45 different countries. From these submissions, the judges chose 14 gold winners from diverse disciplines, half of which were BYU students. “The portfolio competition in particular is held in such high esteem because they are not just recognizing one piece in your portfolio, but your entire body of work,” said Alexa Spiroff, an advertising student. “To be a portfolio winner means the judges are acknowledging that every piece of work in your book is award-winning.” Cam Tribe and Sara McLaws won for advertising. Connor Dean, Jedediah Thunell, Bentley Rawle and Alexa Spiroff won for film and TV commercials. Laura McNeill won for graphic design. In addition to the seven golds won by BYU students for portfolios, four individual advertising projects won gold, three won silver and one won bronze. They also won five gold cubes, two silver cubes and one bronze cube in the ADC Awards category. In the One Show category, BYU advertising students won one gold pencil, one silver pencil and three merit awards. McCall Keller, another BYU graphic design student, won a bronze cube for his redesign of King Kong Magazine. Nineteen advertising and graphic design projects were merit winners — all contributing to the competition’s ultimate ranking of BYU as the #2 program in the world. BYU advertising professor Jeff Sheets, who is a board member and judge for the One Club for Creativity, was asked to present the portfolio awards and give students their awards on stage. “It was a very fulfilling moment for me personally to be able to present so many awards to our very own BYU students,” said Sheets. “I had witnessed first-hand all of their hard work and creative determination.” Winning such a prestigious award can help students put their names out there and launch their professional careers after they leave BYU. “The One Club is really well known across the graphic design and advertising communities, so to be able to have that on my resume would really help with validating my work,” said McNeill. “I think even the networking that can happen from it is valuable.”

Students from the College of Fine Arts and Communications travel internationally on study abroads, competitions and internships to gain real-world experience and share their talents

BYU’s College of Fine Arts and Communications celebrated the historic joining of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads On May 10, 1869, history was made in the small town of Promontory, Utah. A single golden spike signified the completion of one of the biggest engineering feats in history. The golden spike — driven into the final link of track — joined the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific railroads, creating the first transcontinental railroad in the United States. The marriage of the railroad tracks in northern Utah marked the start of a new era, completely revolutionizing transportation in the United States. With Utah’s close historical tie to this momentous event, members of the BYU community joined in the 150th anniversary celebration happening in their own backyard. This event has connected a BYU alumnus, an illustration professor and others within the College of Fine Arts and Communications who have joined to commemorate the golden spike anniversary. Golden spike postage stamps for USPS BYU alumnus Kevin Cantrell was hired by the USPS to illustrate the forever stamps recently added to the 2019 stamp program. In collaboration with USPS art director Greg Breeding and painter Michael J. Deas, Cantrell helped create a set of stamps that depict the uniting of the two railroads with the Golden Spike. These new stamps are considered to be the most intricate stamps to ever be executed by the USPS — requiring them to get a new machine that is capable of the ornate details in the design. For Cantrell, a native Utahn, this project hit close to home, especially since most of the work he does is outside of Utah and the U.S. “The biggest significance about this project for me was finally being able to work on a project of historical significance for my home state,” said Cantrell. “When I tell people I designed the golden spike stamps, everyone’s eyes just light up and they immediately recognize it. It is personally very gratifying.' Commemorative posters for city of Ogden BYU illustration professor David Dibble was commissioned to design posters for the city of Ogden’s railroad anniversary celebration. “I loved getting to know the trains better,” said Dibble, who grew up in Ogden surrounded by trains. “It was fun to dive in, learn about them and celebrate what they meant to the country at such a significant time in our history. Because of these trains, our nation was never the same.” Dibble worked with train experts to design historically accurate versions of the trains — Jupiter and No. 119 — used in the 1869 ceremony. The two posters were intended to be a set, representing what it would have looked like for someone in Promontory on the day the two trains came together as the golden spike was driven. Dibble’s posters were displayed at the Ogden Heritage Festival and were sold as prints at the Weber State University and Ogden Chamber of Commerce stores. “After Promontory” — a special exhibit in the MOA that highlights the history of railroads In the BYU Museum of Art, the history of the railroad — particularly the anniversary of the transcontinental railroad — is being celebrated in a new exhibit called “After Promontory,” which shows the historical importance of the transcontinental railroad and its continued impact even today. “This exhibit merges 150 years of great railroad photography with an interesting and relevant discussion of transformation and change — both locally and nationally — that still impacts us today,” said MOA curator Ashlee Whitaker. While this same exhibit is currently on display at other locations throughout the nation, BYU’s “After Promontory” contains additional pictures taken from the holdings of the BYU Library’s L. Tom Perry Special Collections. This added section in the exhibit emphasizes the vital role that Utah had in building and completing the transcontinental railroad. “After Promontory” will be on display at the BYU Museum of Art through October 5, 2019. More information about the exhibit and programming can be found online at moa.byu.edu. “Along the Line: Contemporary Explorations of the Transcontinental Railroad” in the HFAC The paintings and art currently featured in the main gallery of the HFAC offer a modern perspective of the transcontinental railroad and how it continues to affect lives today. “This exhibition seeks to bring together contemporary artists’ interpretations of the cultural, social and economic effects of the railroad,” said graduate student curator Meagan Anderson Evans. The majority of the works in the exhibit were created by regional artists, BYU alumni and faculty who Evans personally reached out to. A few pieces were included from students at BYU, UVU and Snow College. HFAC gallery director Jason Lanegan mentored Evans as she sought to make her vision a reality and help audiences increase their understanding of the impact of the railroad. “There are so many different events taking place both statewide and outside of Utah. It’s about recognition and knowledge,” said Lanegan. “This exhibit helps to bring awareness and different insight.” The show will be up in the HFAC through June 26. A companion show — also curated by Evans — is on display in the Utah Cultural Celebration Center in West Valley, Utah.

Justin Kunz, an illustration professor at BYU and medallic artist for the U.S. Mint, has previously designed more than 10 coins for the U.S. Mint as a member of the Artistic Fusion Program. Recently, Kunz designed a new commemorative coin for BYU to celebrate the motto Inspiring Learning. The legacy of inspiring learning at BYU has been passed from mentor to student since the days of its first graduate, James E. Talmage. On the front of the coin are portraits drawn by Kunz of Talmage, Karl G. Maeser and Brigham Young. Together, the three are symbolic of the mentoring that has taken place as part of the campus since the early days of Brigham Young Academy. “Embracing the dynamic of the relationship between a teacher mentoring a student is what makes this coin special,” Kunz said. The reverse side features the original Brigham Young Academy Building, which now serves as the Provo City Library, and the Y Mountain in the background. Read the full article at news.byu.edu.

BYU music professor and students join together to play patriotic music at the annual Carillon Concert hosted by America’s Freedom Festival at 7 p.m. on June 20 BYU School of Music professor Don Cook and music performance students Amber Dahlberg and Jacob Meyers will perform in America’s Freedom Festival at Provo’s annual Carillon Concert. This free event draws people from near and far to BYU campus to hear music of all genres played on the BYU Carillon bells — 52 cast bronze bells weighing from 21 to 4,730 pounds — including patriotic, folk, Broadway, classical and more. “The Carillon Tower represents the 100th anniversary of the University and has become such a visual icon,” said Cook. “I like helping it become an audible icon as well — something you’ll always hear on campus.” Cook has served as BYU university carillonneur since 1991 and has participated in the Carillon concert each year. Cook feels this event is a great way for families and for the community to experience hearing the bells. “It’s a nice opportunity to sit on a blanket or lawn chair and just listen to good music,” said Cook. A video monitor allows guests to watch the performer’s hands and feet while playing the intricate keyboard throughout the concert. Attendees will also have the opportunity to see the mechanisms of the Carillon Tower in person, including a demonstration of the practice keyboard after the concert. The concert will take place on Thursday, June 20 at 7 p.m. at the BYU Centennial Carillon Tower located south of the Marriott Center. Guests are encouraged to bring picnic dinners, blankets and chairs.

Students and faculty from BYU’s School of Communications hope the release of their recently produced documentary will reignite the public’s interest in solving the cold case of Rosie Tapia — a six-year-old girl who was abducted from her Salt Lake City apartment, sexually assaulted and murdered in August of 1995. The debut of the documentary is met with much emotion, especially in the wake of a sketch of the suspect given to police earlier this year by a former neighbor of the Tapia family. “Murderers Living Among Us: Who Killed Rosie Tapia?” not only covers the events of the tragedy but also explores different issues tied to the abduction and murder of Tapia, the impact it has had on her family and the cultural phenomena of true crime as entertainment. The film is the result of a year-long student and faculty-mentored project. Garofalo and the other documentary producers worked closely with the Utah Cold Case Coalition and members of the Tapia family to tell a story that was both factual and emotional. “I really wanted to bring awareness back to this story,” said Garofalo. “The case didn’t get the attention it deserved 24 years ago — it got shoved under the rug. At the end of the day, her killer still hasn’t been found.” Read the full story at comms.byu.edu.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EY75r0svNc With 50 students and more than 135 pieces of luggage, Living Legends arrived in Brazil ready to make a splash. The crowds were captivated by the choreography, stunning costumes, and unique cultural appeal. Audience members thanked the students for presenting the show completely in Portuguese. While in Brazil, the group visited the Associação Fernanda Bianchini, a one-of-a-kind ballet school whose student body comprises more than 300 blind dancers. Following a dance number, the blind students led the members of Living Legends in a group activity where each student was blindfolded and taught the process for learning how to dance while being visually impaired. In Foz do Iguaçu, the local stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints partnered with the mayor’s office to collaborate on a goodwill project in conjunction with the BYU performances. They offered one show ticket in exchange for a donation of a kilogram of nonperishable food, which would be given to local families in need. This food-ticket exchange took place at nine locations throughout the city. Additionally, the group was able to present and discuss the importance of higher education with more than 30 members of Brazil’s Congress and other important opinion leaders from the area. After meeting with the large congressional group, Living Legends members divided into smaller groups with local leaders to discuss how BYU fulfills the goal to be “spiritually strengthening, intellectually enlarging, and character building, leading to lifelong learning and service” — the aims of a BYU education. Read the complete stories: “Making Waves in São Paulo,” “Making History and Giving Charity” and “Leading and Loving in the Amazon.”