The second week on tour was filled with some exciting opportunities for the Folk Dancers at two different festivals.

Photo by Todd Wakefield.

The Laycock Center for Creative Collaboration’s project, Readers to the Rescue, was featured in the Summer 2014 edition of BYU Magazine. The project, which was commissioned by the Library of Congress, aims to get kids back into reading by utilizing current technologies.

The BYU Museum of Art will host the Family Arts Festival on Friday, July 18, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event is in celebration of the current exhibition, CUT! Costume and the Cinema, and is free to the public. Attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy interactive gallery tours, costume design, instruction on combat performance and other activities.

John Hughes, a professor in the Department of Communications, recently published his autobiography, Paper Boy to Pulitzer, chronicling his adventures as a professional, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. Hughes is the former editor of The Christian Science Monitor and Deseret News.

Photo by Jocelyn Bowman. The Young Ambassador Singing Entertainer Workshop (YASE) is underway at BYU for two one-week sessions this month. YASE prepares ambitious high school students improve their skills and understanding of music, dance and theatre. YASE is a camp where the teachers are the BYU Young Ambassadors, who take time to help teenagers put together a show after a week of high-energy musical dance training that includes group classes, auditions, rehearsals and performance-enhancement workshops. YASE attendees also enjoy an outdoor barbecue, a fireside given by Young Ambassadors and a final concert on Friday. “I loved being able to step into a high level of professionalism as we embarked on the challenge of putting a show together in less than one week,” said Tanner DeWaal, the current president of Young Ambassadors. DeWaal attended YASE when he was in high school, and attributes much of his happiness in his Music Dance Theatre (MDT) major to the time he spent there. “I am still great friends with a number of people who I originally met at YASE camp,” DeWaal said. “As a person with a passion for performing, there isn’t anything else I would more strongly recommend to a young performing artist than to be a part of this summer camp.” For more information about YASE camp, click here.

The BYU Museum of Art (MOA) will host a Hollywood Red Carpet Night to celebrate the opening of its newest exhibition, CUT! Costume and the Cinema on Friday, July 11, from 7 to 9 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to dress in their red-carpet best as photography will be provided and posted on social media.

Thirty students and nine professors from BYU and England’s Wirral Metropolitan College (WMC) gathered in Yellowstone National Park in June to collaborate across disciplines for the purpose of making art inspired by the scenery.

Contemporary Dance Theatre and Synthesis had a fantastic second week in Nauvoo. The students kicked the week off with a spirited fireside that they performed not only for missionaries serving in Nauvoo, but also several community members. Then they set off on another whirlwind week, this time traveling to Ft. Madison, Springfield, Fairfield, Carthage and Memphis for a series of fantastic performances.This week gave the student time to explore the historic sites of Nauvoo, and connect the historic legacy of the early saints. One highlight was a trip to Carthage, where the groups were able to fortify their testimonies of Joseph Smith. This held particular significance since this week commemorated the 170th anniversary of the Martyrdom.

Susan Kenney, a music education professor in the BYU School of Music, will begin new adventures and endeavors as she retires at the end of a summer.

The BYU artsPASS enables fans of music, theatre, and dance the opportunity to secure tickets in advance to any of the performances presented by the BYU School of Music, Dept. of Dance, Dept. of Theatre and Media Arts, and BRAVO!: Professional Performing Arts at BYU before tickets for individual performances are available to the general public. The artsPASS goes on sale July 7 at 9:00 a.m. at the BYU Ticket Office in the Harris Fine Arts Center or Marriott Center, online at www.byuarts.com, or by calling (801) 422-2981. The artsPASS gives purchasers the option of selecting five or more performances to attend during the 2014-15 season. Those who purchase the artsPASS enjoy not having to wait in line when individual tickets go on sale four weeks in advance of each event. artsPASS holders also get the best available seats and will receive all of their tickets before the season begins. Jeffrey Martin, producer of performing arts for the College of Fine Arts and Communications and presenter of the BRAVO! series, said the artsPASS is a great option not only for parents and alumni, but for current BYU students. “The arts can enrich anyone’s college experience. By attending live performances, students gain exposure to both traditional and unfamiliar art forms, expand their world view and learn about stories and ideas in a different way,” Martin said. “These experiences also give them an opportunity to enjoy things at an affordable price before going out into the world where these things are far more expensive.” To create your custom artsPASS starting July 7, click here.

On July 2, the BYU American Folk Dance Ensemble will leave the U.S. for 28 days to perform in Belgium, France and Switzerland.