Awards and Achievements

Assistant Dean Thaylene Rogers is Recognized for Her Dedication and Teamwork as CFAC Financial Controller

A Semester of Forward Thinking and Hard Work Earns Students Across the College National Recognition

Students and Faculty from the Department of Design, School of Communications, School of Music and Department of Dance Are Awarded Top Prizes From National Contests

Eight CFAC Faculty Are Awarded University and College Awards During the Annual University Conference 2023

CFAC Students Are Among Those Awarded Top Ratings and First-Place Prizes at National and International Contests

Audrey Hancock wins the 2021 AIGA national Command X competition

It’s a good year for BYU’s Center for Animation: in May BYU animation students won E3’s College Game Competition, and now BYU tops the Animation Career Review’s ranking of animation schools with Bachelor of Science programs. BYU’s animation program is comprised of students in both the animation track (BFA) and the computer science animation emphasis (BS). Before they graduate, students work either on the animated film or the video game that is produced each year. The animation students typically focus on design, while the computer science students focus on special effects. Read the rest of the story on news.byu.edu.

By Colin Wylie

Julian Harper wins the BLOOOM Award by WARSTEINER and was featured as a finalist in a special exhibition at Art Düsseldorf

The BYU Arts Creative team has done it again! Last summer, they won several awards from the 45th Annual Design Competition of the UCDA. On February 26, 2016 they were awarded a Grand Gold Award and a Bronze Award of Excellence from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District VII. BYU Arts Creative received the Grand Gold Award in Design and Photography for the Contemporary Dance Theatre Poster created by Nick Mendoza and student designer, Sam Reed. Reed is a senior in the BFA Graphic Design program and had the opportunity to oversee the project from start to finish. “It was great to collaborate with the dance department, Nathan Balser, and photographer, Christopher Peddecord. They are great clients to work with,” Reed said. The Grand Gold Award is only presented to exemplary Awards of Excellence submissions where the gold awards from each category are judged a second time. Mendoza and Reed received one of only six Grand Gold Awards given. “We are grateful to win and be recognized with other prestigious universities such as Berkeley and USC. Sam and I have a great working relationship that has produced some great designs over the years,” Mendoza said. “I have been able to see him grow as a designer and I’m excited for his future.” The team also won a Bronze Award of Excellence in poster design for the Jazz Showcase Poster, designed by a recent graduate, Nicolina Brown. Out of more than 500 entries this year, only 195 gold, silver and bronze winners were selected. BYU Arts Creative consists of a team of students that supports all of BYU Arts productions by preparing the marketing materials, including graphics, posters and programs. Nick Mendoza, creative services manager for BYU Arts, oversees the students and regularly submits their work for awards. Several works from BYU were chosen in various categories. See a complete list of the Awards of Excellence here. http://www.casevii.org/Documents/Districts/DistrictVII/DVII_Awards_Excellence_2016.pdf

Breaking the Class Ceiling, a College of Fine Arts and Communications interdisciplinary project, has continued on its award-winning run by receiving a gold recognition in the 45th Creativity Student Media & Interactive Design Awards. Across the world, economic and social disadvantages continue to hinder the advancement of hard-working men and women, a concept known as a “glass ceiling,” or the “class ceiling.” A group of BYU students would argue that for Chile, one of the biggest obstacles is free, quality public education. Motivated by personal connections to the people and a sense for the gravity of the situation, an interdisciplinary team of students and faculty from BYU’s College of Fine Arts and Communications, in conjunction with the Laycock Center for Creative Collaboration in the Arts, traveled to the country for two weeks and gathered information about the reform of higher education from students at Universidad Mayor, a Chilean private university. “Being from Chile, this was a great opportunity for me to cover something that I have personally been involved in,” said Ricardo Quintana, one of the students who participated in the project. “This is an important issue and society should be involved in its improvement.” Since compiling and presenting the gathered information, the project has won numerous awards and highlights the learning opportunities available to students at BYU’s College of Fine Arts and Communications. Quintana added, “Our work is significant because it shows how coveted education is outside the U.S., where it typically is not nearly as accessible. Kids and young adults are raising their voices against the government through different forms of protest because they feel they have a right to free education.” This project explicitly asks: should a college education be an implicit right for everyone? No doubt due in part for the hard questions that it asks, Breaking the Class Ceiling has recently been announced as a national finalist of The Society of Professional Journalists 2014 Mark of Excellence Awards and a gold winner in the 45th Creativity Student Media & Interactive Design Awards. “It is great to see that our work is being recognized,” said Shelbi Anderson, another student participant. “I was gratified to hear these stories firsthand, but getting recognized a year after we actually went to Chile makes it feel like we have had an impact after the fact.” These awards were given based on excellence in challenging criteria. For the Creativity International Award alone, entries came from 16 countries, 2 Canadian Provinces and 20 U.S. States. Student participants included: Shelbi Anderson (Journalist) Ricardo Quintana (Cinemaphotographer) Jared Jakins (Cinemaphotographer) Jeff Wade (Graphic Designer/Web Support/AV Support) Faculty advisors included: Brent Barson Jeff Sheets Ed Carter

Director of 'Frozen' mentors, Disney/Pixar president praises 'Ram’s Horn' The tradition continued for BYU Center for Animation students, who won their 17th award in 12 years from the College Television Awards, commonly called the “Student Emmys.” This year’s animated short was Ram’s Horn, a comedic piece documenting the ascent of an oblivious, cocky mountaineer on a quest to the peak of a daunting mountain. He faces a few obstacles along the way against an unexpected rival, but in the end meets his goal while learning an important lesson about getting his priorities straight. only called the “Student Emmys.”

BYU’s premier a cappella group recognized for best male collegiate album and best religious song in prestigious a cappella recording awards

The BYU Department of Design wrapped up this year’s Graphis awards with 19 of their 21 entries selected to be featured in the Graphis magazine.

A Brigham Young University illustration graduate’s work is being showcased in the March issues of all four magazine publications put out by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Katie Payne has always enjoyed drawing, but it was during her time at BYU that she was introduced to artists and techniques that expanded her horizons and got her excited about pursuing illustration professionally. For her, going from drawing for fun to drawing professionally has come after hard work and effort. That hard work and effort is now paying off as the March issues of the Friend, the New Era, the Liahona and the Ensign will all include pieces of her work. “It wasn’t easy, but I finally worked up the nerve to contact the Ensign’s art director so that I could present some of my work and hopefully get a commission,” said Payne. “Incredibly, that contact led to me going into magazine headquarters for an interview where I presented three pieces that I had specifically made to show them that I could do the job right. It turned out that they loved them!” Payne graduated from BYU’s Department of Visual Arts in the summer of 2012 and has since continued to refine her skills by working on personal projects and entering various competitions. She will soon be submitting her depiction of Mary washing Jesus’ feet to the 10th International Art Competition at the Church History Museum. In the future, Payne hopes to design a book cover for one of BYU’s alumni, Brandon Sanderson’s novels. “I’m a long way from that,” said Payne. “But a girl can dream!” To see Payne’s March magazine illustrations, click here, here and here.

The Wall Street Journal

With more than 1,000 entries from 20 different countries, five BYU design students have defied the odds and have reached the semifinals in the 14th annual Adobe Design Achievement Awards.“The Adobe Design Achievement Awards feature work from some of the most innovative and talented students around the world. We are privileged to honor such incredible talents and to help launch their careers,” said Tacy Trowbridge, worldwide manager of Education Programs, Adobe. “Congratulations to all the students for their creative accomplishments!”

Amanda Jane Jones, a 2009 graduate from the BYU Department of Visual Arts (DVA), is the lead designer for Kinfolk, a quarterly publication that recently received national attention from a review in the New York Times.