BYU News Media Student Lands Front-Page Spot in the Deseret News

Four BYU seniors in the School of Communication's advertising program — Lorien Pereyra, Pablo Perez, Erin Gazdik and Jessica Nugent -— were selected for the Most Promising Multicultural Students Program class of 2019 by the American Advertising Federation (AAF).

Some majors direct their student into a specific career path, but that isn’t the case for those who pursue a degree in communications. BYU School of Communications alumna Siovhan Johnson is learning this lesson as she makes the transition from broadcast news to strategic communications. Read Johnson's full story on the School of Communications website.

The lecture will take place on Thursday, April 4 at 11 a.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall

Everyone has a bad day once in a while, but design professor David Habben’s newest children's book “Mr. Sherman's Cloud” takes a look at how those bad days can be turned around. Habben, who goes by the pen name HABBENINK, hopes the book will help people walk away with a new perspective on how to handle difficulties in life and open up discussions about mental health. “I wanted to put an emphasis on the need for us to control our responses to challenges in life,” said Habben. “Even if we have a time in our life where we feel like there’s a storm cloud above us, in the end it can work out. It will be okay.” He continued, “We talk about mental health issues and how we need to be more vocal about them and avoid creating a stigma around having a dark time in life. I wanted this story to speak to the idea that we’re not alone in our journey and we can be honest about the fact that we’re having a rough day and allow other people into our lives to help us resolve that in whatever way it needs to be resolved.” The original inspiration for the book was one of Habben’s sketches that features a man huddled under a rain cloud. The idea to turn the sketch into a book was born when a publisher approached Habben after seeing his work online. “It’s the phone call every artist hopes to get as often as they can,” said Habben of the experience. “It feels great.” Although Habben has illustrated various children’s books, “Mr. Sherman’s Cloud” is the first book he has both authored and wrote. “There’s something nice about being able to craft a story that says what you want it to say and matching your story with the illustration style that you like to do,” said Habben. “A lot of times for illustrators, there’s another party involved, like an art director, that’s putting everything together. It’s nice to tell your own story in your own way.” While characteristic of Habben’s trademark fantastical style, the book also introduces some new stylistic elements that came about during Habben’s latest stylistic shift. His current style focuses on finding a balance between reality and the abstract. “I think every artist should try to speak their own truth,” said Habben. “For me, the way I look at the world, there’s a lot of ambiguity and ridiculous things that go on. I try to approach some of that in the way I make art. If I draw something too exact, it feels less accurate in a way; it doesn’t express the true nature of something. The more I allow my interpretation to come through, the more I’m being truthful about my own perspective.” For Habben, his colorful approach to art is a way of putting a positive spin on the difficult aspects of life — something he hopes comes through in the book. “You can’t take everything so seriously to the point that it becomes a negative part of your life,” said Habben. “I hope people get the sense that they can overcome a bad day and get a better perspective. I want it to help people. I want them to connect with the book in a way that helps them feel positive and make progress in their own lives.” Habben will be holding a book signing at The King’s English in Salt Lake City on May 18 at 11 a.m. For more information about Habben’s other upcoming events and new work, follow him on social media @HABBENINK.

Dance professor Marin Roper discussed how she applies somatic dance practices to the gospel in March’s Faith + Works lecture

BYU’s Museum of Art (MOA) welcomes Danae Mattes to discuss her current exhibition, “Where the River Widens,” with students, faculty and members of the community. The lecture will take place Thursday, March 14 at 5 p.m. Like most of Mattes’ work, “Where the River Widens” is composed of natural materials. This specific piece explores how water and earth mix and the human reaction to that phenomenon. “I have come to view my work as a synthesis of the experiences I have when walking through landscape; a culmination of my observations and perceptions of nature,” said Mattes. According to the MOA’s website, Mattes feels that a river’s state of flux is “a metaphor for life, as change is a constant of the human experience.” This flux is demonstrated in her piece, which transformed over a few months as the water evaporated and the materials settled. Not only will Mattes’ lecture explore “Where the River Widens,” but it will also give attendees insight into her journey as an artist — a journey that has taken her and her art across the world, including to Germany, Chile and Japan. For more information about the lecture, visit the MOA’s Facebook page, where the lecture will be livestreamed.

Music is much more than simply playing notes according to the award-winning Danish String Quartet. Fredrik Sjolin and Frederik Oland shared their insights on bringing music to life and seeing music as a conversation in a masterclass with students from the School of Music.

College of Fine Arts and Communications classes allow students to use their artistic abilities to help populations in need

Students and faculty from the School of Music will explore the themes of two current BYU Museum of Art (MOA) exhibitions — “Windswept” by Patrick Dougherty and “Where the River Widens” by Danae Mattes — during “Nature Transformed: Musical Experience at the MOA, a concert on Thursday, March 7, at 7 p.m. The event will feature three original compositions performed by their respective composers: “Wave Lapse” by Asher Bay, “Fire Festival” by Scott Nelson and “Woven” by music professors Steve Ricks and Christian Asplund, known by their stage name Ricksplund. Ricks sees the concert as an “intersection between different art forms.” Each piece will feature the artists’ interpretation of an aspect of nature through electronic music. “Wave Lapse” layers live audio from museum patron members and video to comment on the layered complexities of Mattes and Dougherty’s work. Similarly, “Fire Festival” will include video representations of the natural world, including fire, and pair them with live electric guitar and pre-recorded sounds. Ricks says the complementary juxtaposition of the electronic music pieces and Mattes and Dougherty's exhibits was not coincidental. The artists’ approaches to their respective pieces is similar to how electronic music is created. “I’m taking natural sounds and changing them into something else, something unexpected,” said Ricks. “Mattes and Dougherty also took something natural and put it into an artificial space. This inspires people to think about nature and creativity in a new way.” Ricks and Asplund’s piece weaves together Asplund’s viola with Ricks’ use of a MIDI controller pad, which allows him to trigger and control sounds, including their speed, pitch and volume. “It’s like an orchestra in a box, where the orchestra can play any sound you could imagine” said Ricks. The finished product “Woven” features interlocking lines and patterns to create rich textures that reflect the surfaces in Mattes and Dougherty’s work. For more information about the concert, visit the MOA’s Facebook page.

Four BYU Vocal Students Eligible for National Competition After Placing at Regional NATS

Many BYU professors aren’t just professors; they’re also successful professionals in their respective fields. However, few double as government contractors — but illustration professor Justin Kunz has devoted much of his time to designing America’s coins and medals for more than a decade. Kunz is a member of an elite group of artists that comprise the U.S. Mint’s Artistic Infusion Program (AIP). Kunz has designed various coins and medals for the U.S. Mint, with one of his recent designs winning the Coin of the Year in the category of Best Gold Coin Award at the 2019 World Money Fair in Berlin. “I was thrilled to see this important coin recognized on an international stage, and thankful all over again to have been part of the process of creating it,” said Kunz. Kunz’s involvement with the U.S. Mint began in 2004. After seeing an advertisement on local TV calling for artists, Kunz sent in a portfolio and a sample coin design. Before long he was in Philadelphia learning the ins and outs of coin, or numismatic, design. Kunz was one of just 18 professionals selected for the program along with six student artists. Kunz said when he was selected for the program he felt like Charlie from “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory”; his acceptance into the program felt like a “golden ticket.” Other than a hiatus while he was working on an MFA in painting, Kunz has worked with the U.S. Mint ever since his first trip to Philadelphia in 2004. “I have a good working relationship with the Mint,” said Kunz. “They are smart, hard-working people who really care about our country and the artistic quality of our coins and medals. They have always treated me fairly and have helped me grow and improve as an artist.” Kunz’s love for drawing and design is at the core of why he continues to collaborate with the Mint over the years. For him it is a way to apply his skills and interests into a project of national importance. “As part of the process for developing visual ideas, I get to study the events and symbols that are important to the history of our country and compete with other talented designers to help tell those stories,” said Kunz. “It’s really satisfying to hold the finished coin or medal in my hands, rotate it under the light and feel the texture of the relief work on it.” From collaborating with fellow artists to interacting with coin collectors, Kunz has had a lot of special moments during his decade and a half working with the Mint, but he says one of his favorites was the unveiling of the 2017 American Liberty 225th Anniversary Gold Coin. For a few days, the story became a trending topic in all the major media. “I was in Washington D.C. while that was unfolding, just hiding out in my favorite place in the city,” said Kunz. “It was pretty surreal to think a little gold coin could attract so much national attention. It’s been really rewarding to know my work is out there connecting with people.” Kunz’s road to international success has been rooted in the way he approaches his work and life in general. He advises aspiring artists to “Become better than you currently are — but please take it one day at a time. Try to see every situation and assignment as an opportunity to learn and prepare. Not just for a rewarding career, which you can have, but also for a deeply fulfilling life.” For more information about Kunz’s work, visit his page on the U.S. Mint website.