Duque will speak at the Department of Art and Department of Design Convocation at 12 p.m. on April 26 Annelise Duque knew she wanted to be an artist from a fairly young age. Having been raised by two professors — one of whom was a ceramic artist — Annelise decided on her career path early on. However, she originally planned on studying illustration, since she thought it would help her on that journey. “I had a professor in a non-major watercolor class I took for fun, and she had gotten her BFA in the studio art program here at BYU,” Duque said. “She said, ‘Annelise, do you know what illustration really entails?’ Because I thought that it was all kids books, but it turns out it’s a lot more commission-based.” Wanting to make more of her own artistic decisions, Duque decided studio art was closer to what she was looking for in a major and career path. “The art program, compared to the design and illustration programs, is more about individual artists and what they want to do and their own path,” Duque said. “They’re still great, just different. So, I started making art more about myself.” Her experience in the Department of Art has been overwhelmingly positive, she says. She found her professors to be very caring and personally invested. The biggest standout moment to her was when her professor, Joe Ostraff, offered to give her the shirt off his back. “He was wearing this really cool long-sleeve white t-shirt with these graphic letters hand-printed onto it,” Duque said. She told him she liked the shirt and he asked if she’d like to have it. “I said, ‘Joe, I’m not going to take the literal shirt off of your back. I don’t need your shirt,’” Duque said. “Then the next day in class he just gave me the shirt all laundered and everything. I’m going to keep it forever.” Duque is hopeful looking to the future. While some see art degrees as less-than-useful, she insists that they are versatile. “When people ask you what you’re going to do once you graduate, a lot of people say, ‘I’m going to be an artist,’” Duque said. “A lot of people think that you just want to be an artist or you are going to try to be a high school art teacher or something, but our professors tell us all the time about students who have graduated in our program and now work as content creators or design consultants. An artistic background can help you get into new jobs.” Duque plans on working toward becoming an art professor. Having been raised by two professors, she says it runs in her blood. “I’ve always wanted to be a professor,” Duque said. “I think because of that, my professors have made an effort to find me teaching opportunities or jobs that could help me get to that point. They’ve provided me with so much resume material that has really made me confident.” The word of wisdom Duque would leave other students, particularly women, is to stop selling themselves short. Though the art program is mostly composed of women, there aren’t many women that go on to study in graduate school and there are even fewer female professors in the program. “You have to just keep going,” Duque said. “Follow your path, follow your dreams, even if it feels stupid.” Q&A with Annelise Duque, BFA '19 Art | Art When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up? 'I was all over the place. I wanted to be an opera singer for probably the first eight years of my life, but then I wanted to be like my mom. She was a ceramic artist, and growing up she let me play around with clay and with paint and with all these different tools.' What’s your favorite snack to eat between classes? 'I get the cheese sticks and the flaxseed tortilla chips that are shaped like hexagons. Our art classes are three hours long during lunch and nap time, so a little bit of protein and salt helps wake you up in your classes.' Who or what is your inspiration? “I am inspired by my advisor. Her name is Jen Watson and she is the coolest person in the world. She got her BFA here, her undergrad here, and then she quit art for ten years or something. She became a snowboard instructor and really got to know herself and what she wanted to do. After that long break she realized, ‘I can be an artist on my own terms.’ And so she went to grad school and then she got hired here.”

Norawong will speak at the School of Communications Convocation at 9 a.m. on April 26

In April’s Faith + Works lecture, School of Communications professor Kevin John discussed how people can overcome the notion that there is an inherent gap between religion and science and instead use both to discover truth.

School of Communications professor Miles Romney was invited to present at the Broadcast Education Association (BEA) 2019 Conference in Las Vegas on April 6-9. Romney’s presentation will be based on his new book chapter titled 'Tune it or Stream it? Can Millennials and the Internet save ESPN?' Read more on the School of Communications website.

Communications graduate students Kylie Brooks and Sara Bezdjian May took second place in the communications division of the Arthur W. Page Society Case Study Competition, which features original cases studies from students across the U.S. This is the third year in a row that graduate students from the School of Communications placed in the competition. Read more on the School of Communications website.

R. Gregory Christie, an award-winning illustrator, gave students a glimpse into his career

The Ballroom Dance Company will perform their “Ode to Joy” and “Ritmo del Corazon” medleys for the last time On April 12 and 13, 160 students will come together to present “BYU’s Ballroom Dance in Concert.” The performance promises to showcase equal measures of quality dancing and theatrical spectacle. “Typically in the discipline of ballroom dance, you see couples dancing,” said Curt Holman, artistic director of BYU’s Ballroom Dance Company. “It’s really rare to take a group of people and create an ensemble piece that has eight couples. In some of our beginning teams, we have 16 couples on the floor. When you’re able to do that, it becomes very entertaining for the audience.” Read more at this BYU Dance article.

BYU’s College of Fine Arts and Communications (CFAC) will hold the 2019 Convocation ceremonies on Friday, April 26 in the de Jong Concert Hall of the Harris Fine Arts Center (HFAC). Ceremonies will include student speakers, musical numbers and the presentation of master’s and baccalaureate diplomas to graduates. The ceremonies will be livestreamed on the CFAC website. University Commencement will take place on Thursday, April 25 at 10 a.m. in the Marriott Center. More information on commencement can be found here. The School of Communications Convocation will take place at 9 a.m. Speakers will include public relations student Spencer Norawong and news media student Camille Baker. There will also be a performance by School of Music student Christian Hales. The Department of Art and Department of Design Convocation will take place at 12 p.m. Speakers will include studio art students Chole Welch and Annelise Duque, graphic design student Sienna Forsyth and illustration student Melissa Kamba. There will also be a performance by School of Music student CJ Madsen. The Department of Dance, the School of Music and Department of Theatre and Media Arts Convocation will take place at 3 p.m. TMA student Channing Weir will speak. There will also be a performance by School of Music students Catherine Boyack and Morgan Hastings. Tickets are limited to four per graduate for general admission and will be available for in-person pick up at the Harris Fine Arts Center (HFAC) Ticket Office on the following dates: School of Communications | March 18-19 Department of Art/Department of Design | March 20-21 Department of Dance/School of Music/Department of Theatre and Media Arts (including MDT) | March 25-26 Late requests (any students that did not claim tickets on the previous dates) March 27-28 Students who are not on campus on their respective pickup date must contact their school or department to arrange pickup. After students have claimed their tickets, any additional tickets will be distributed at the HFAC Ticket Office on a first-come, first-served basis. This second round of ticket distribution will also be limited to a maximum of four additional tickets per student. For additional questions regarding convocation tickets, please contact cfacconvocation@byu.edu or read through the CFAC Convocation FAQs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKZDTmGU9A0&=&feature=youtu.be BYU School of Communications Professor Kevin Kelly's new film 'I Saw the Hosts of the Dead' will air Sunday, April 7 at 9 a.m. on BYUtv before “Music and the Spoken Word.” The film is a documentary — mixed with a little live action — that explores Joseph F. Smith’s vision and the background behind it. To read more about the inspiration behind the film and what it took to create it, visit the School of Communications website.

School of Communications professor Adam Durfee was recently recognized as the social media innovator of the year by The Social Shake-Up. The organization holds an annual conference featuring cutting-edge social media techniques and the people behind them. To read more about Durfee's work and the award, visit the School of Communications website.

Lanegan connects his artwork with family history work

Keynote speaker Mike Rugnetta will address the possibilities and positive use of new media