BYU’s College of Fine Arts and Communications (CFAC) will hold the 2018 August Convocation ceremonies on Friday, August 17 at 11 a.m., in deJong Concert Hall of the Harris Fine Arts Center (HFAC). The ceremony will also be live streamed here. One hundred and seventy-four graduates from the Department of Art, School of Communications, Department of Theatre and Media Arts, Department of Dance, Department of Design, and School of Music will join together in one ceremony to be recognized and receive their diploma covers on the stage of the de Jong Concert Hall. Dean Ed Adams will preside over the ceremony where four graduates will address the audience: Design major Abigail Smith Advertising major Dallin Adams Media arts major Taylor Tiave Art major Colby Sanford During the program, Spencer Danielson will perform a solo on the clarinet. Danielson is studying woodwind performance. The convocation will conclude with the presentation of master’s and baccalaureate degrees.University Commencement will take place on Thursday, August 16 at 4 p.m. in the Marriott Center. Elder Brent H. Nielson will give the commencement address. More information on commencement can be found here.

Convocation for the College of Fine Arts and Communications will take place at 11 a.m. on August 17

Convocation for the College of Fine Arts and Communications will take place at 11 a.m. on August 17

Convocation for the College of Fine Arts and Communications will take place at 11 a.m. on August 17

Convocation for the College of Fine Arts and Communications will take place at 11 a.m. on August 17

Convocation for the College of Fine Arts and Communications will take place at 11 a.m. on August 17

The BYU Museum of Art (MOA) is set to open their newest exhibition on Monday. It will feature every Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph since the award was first created in 1942. The exhibition is visiting from the Newseum in Washington, D.C. The MOA is the first venue other than the Newseum to host the exhibition. The exhibition has been one of the Newseum’s most popular. MOA Curator Kenneth Hartvigsen called this a “unique opportunity” and said the photographs are “iconic in a very true sense.”Read more at the Daily Herald.

I had no idea how a weeklong experience in New York City with the BYU Contemporary Dance Theatre (CDT) could help me decide this was where I will pursue an MFA after graduating from BYU. While we were in New York, we brushed shoulders with professional dancers and choreographers, which opened my eyes to all the opportunities available to me. Based out of the Gibney Dance Center, we took master classes in contemporary, Limon technique and contemporary partnering. These opportunities provided me with valuable real-world insights into pursuing a professional career in NYC. The classes were incredible and pushed me beyond what I have done in my college career. Our CDT director Nathan Balser asked our team, “If you could take a class from anyone, who would it be?” Without hesitation I responded, “Kate Weare.” Although we didn’t meet Weare, I was able to take a class from one her dancers. It was an experience I will always look back at and pull from. We got a behind the scenes Broadway master class and learned the choreography from “Wicked” before seeing the show that night. It was a dream to experience what it would be like to perform on Broadway in one of my all-time favorite shows. Along with taking classes from accomplished dancers, my favorite part of the trip was seeing so many shows. We watched the Limon Dance Company in the historic Joyce Theater where the highlight of the evening was the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Limon’s iconic piece, “Missa Brevis.” Seeing that piece performed in the Joyce Theater was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. As a company we also saw “Then She Fell,” which is an immersive dance theatre experience. “Then She Fell” was breathtaking and uniquely beautiful. I took advantage of our time to see a variety of other shows and performances. While I was in New York, I was able to tour graduate dance programs in the city. I realized this is where I want to continue my education as a MFA student. Every single class, show and even the atmosphere of New York City was life-changing and I am grateful for the opportunity to be a student here at BYU and to be a member of this amazing dance company. **Noelani’s husband, Adam, is also a member of CDT.

Brigham Young University Museum of Art (MOA) has entered the conversation on refugees. According to MOA Curator Kenneth Hartvigsen this decision wasn’t accidental or spontaneous. Two years ago the museum staff, including Hartvigsen, started looking for shows and exhibitions that dealt with refugees. The fruit of their efforts are the three exhibitions currently on display through Sept 29: 'DIGNITY: Tribes in Transition,' 'Refugee Trilogy' and 'Albanian Stories.' Hartvigsen hopes these exhibitions will inspire patrons to act and make a difference in their communities. Read more on Deseret News.

The second annual festival held by the Mormon Arts Center will take place June 28-30 at Columbia University in New York City. The festival will help fulfill the Mormon Arts Center’s mission to display, perform and promote Mormon art. More than two dozen events will be featured, including a keynote address by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich. BYU faculty and staff presenting at the festival include Christian Asplund from the School of Music, Amy Easton Flake from the College of Religious Education, associate librarian Trevor Alvord, Marin Leggat Roper from the Department of Dance, Lance Larsen from the Department of English, Jeff Parkin and Kelly Loosli from the Department of Theatre and Media Arts. The presenters will be joined by fellow Mormon artists from “Angola, Argentina, Canada, China, Kuwait, Spain, and across the United States,” according to Mormon Arts Center co-director Glen Nelson. A full list of events can be found here. A highlight of the festival will be a piano recital by professor Scott Holden from the School of Music. The performance, titled “A Century of Mormon Music,” will be held at the new recital space Zankel Hall in Carnegie Hall. Holden will also perform a recital on BYU’s campus on June 26. Visit the Mormon Arts Center for more information.

Theatre and Media Arts professor Scott Christopherson’s documentary film, “The Insufferable Groo,” premiered at the Sheffield International Documentary Film Festival which took place June 7-12 in Sheffield, England. The documentary focuses on Provo independent filmmaker Stephen Groo, who is known for his eccentric and passionate approach to making movies. Groo’s films, though small in scale and budget, have gained fans from industry professionals including Jared Hess, Jermaine Clement and Jack Black, the latter of which starred in Groo’s film “The Unexpected Race.” Read more about “The Insufferable Groo” in The Hollywood Reporter, The Daily Herald and Deadline.

Combine elements from classic video games like Mortal Kombat and Guitar Hero, and you will see the recipe for success behind the new game developed by animation students called “Beat Boxers.” The project, which recently took home the top prize at the E3 College Game Competition, follows on the successes of past projects like Nokbak, Vanguards and Relic Hunter. The competition is held annually and students from the BYU Center for Animation are not strangers to the event. “This project was a massive undertaking,” said Vanessa Palmer, a recently graduated illustration student and art director over the game. “If our team wasn’t so supportive of each other, there is no way I could have balanced working on the game with classwork and graduation.” “Beat Boxers,” was a combined effort from students in the Department of Design, Department of Theater and Media Arts, and Department of Computer Science. Read more about this story on news.byu.edu.