Ed Adams Archives - BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications

Diversity + Inclusion | A Message from Dean Adams

admin — Fri, 19 Jun 2020 22:10:05 +0000

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Adapting to COVID-19: Behind the Scenes of CFAC

admin — Mon, 01 Jun 2020 20:17:05 +0000

Dean Ed Adams shares how those throughout the college have responded to COVID-19 As we approach the end of spring term, I am amazed by the responses that so many throughout our college have taken to adapt to these challenging circumstances. I have seen much creativity from our faculty and staff in all our academic areas. I also wanted to recognize the work of some of the other areas of the college that often go unseen. Advisement The CFAC Advisement Center played an important role in our college’s response to the cancellation of convocation ceremonies. Their team worked through challenging circumstances to keep individuals informed and get diplomas to graduates, which required mailing nearly 800 diplomas and submitting all of the student names into the registrar. They also distributed the convocation program to graduating students, which was included on the college convocation website. As with others throughout the college, the employees in the Advisement Center are now working remotely but have shown great commitment to serving students, making advisors available for phone appointments and answering emails during normal office hours. Arts Production Although the Arts Production team has faced changes in their work with the cancellation of all performances on and off campus, the members of Arts Production swiftly turned to maintenance and professional development mode and have utilized this time they would not normally have during spring and summer. Many of the student employees have remained in Provo where they contribute to the important task of keeping the venues and support spaces in prime condition. The non-student employees are still working on their design, planning from their own homes and continuing to work on their remote professional development opportunities in their respective and multi-faceted disciplines. As Russ Richins, director of Arts Production said, “While the shutdown of campus and touring has certainly had its impact, in certain respects it has provided a much needed pause for Arts Production personnel to catch their breath.” BYU Arts/Bravo! BYU Arts and Bravo! had everything cut-out from underneath their series. Bravo! Series producer Bridget Benton has been constantly exploring solutions to performance venues and schedules. She has been creatively exploring alternatives, and has been a great resource on how we would move forward in a socially-distant future. “Our CFAC COVID-19 committee and several subcommittees are filled with some of the brightest minds in the college,” said Benton. “Together, we are working to think strategically and creatively to ensure that we will fulfill the academic purposes of our departments, while still keeping the safety and health of our performers, staff, students and patrons at the top of our mind.” BYU Arts Marketing and Creative Services For the BYU Arts Marketing and Creative Services team, things have taken an obvious shift. The entire office is now working from home, while connecting on a weekly basis to keep their work moving forward. Although the team is unsure what Fall 2020 semester will look like — which makes their planning very difficult — they are moving forward on creating promotional material for 2020-2021. Creative Services manager Ty Davis said, “We’re hoping, designing and planning for the best, but every day is different.” The social media team is working on informational videos to express that although everything has been put on hold, students of the CFAC are working together to continue their art and education. These videos will show plans for the future and let patrons know that we plan to come back to the stages as soon as we can. BYU Arts Marketing has also begun creating a digital version of the season brochure for the upcoming year. Instead of a usual printed catalogue which would be distributed to patrons, the pamphlet will be published on the website. The team has been hard at work to make the content informative and accessible. “It’s new for me as I’m a print designer, but I think what we put together will be the new precedent for what we do in the future,” Davis said. Additionally, the team is designing the social distancing signage that will be put in the HFAC. They are exploring creative ways to make this signage informative but also inviting. Computer Support Shane Warby and his CSR team have been working remotely since the last week of March. They have done a tremendous job of continuing to help faculty and staff with technological needs such as answering desk calls and being available to fulfill questions and concerns. They have made occasional visits to campus to resolve hardware issues or deliver new machines to faculty and staff. Luckily, they have tools that enable them to remotely view and control users’ machines which has allowed them to solve issues from home. To keep their team unified, Slack and email communication have been key. Although the usual camaraderie in the office has come to a halt, Shane and his team have made efforts to keep in touch and provide our college with the necessary support. Don Powell has been the go-to person on keeping us on top of technology, responding to our needs as the university shut-down in-person classes, and then assessing our needs for fall semester. He is constantly looking for solutions to help efficiency and to support teaching and mentoring. External Relations As the External Relations office has shifted to remote work, the team is still working diligently to increase awareness for the happenings of the college, share stories and promote the arts. All of the office’s teams — web, editorial, social media, photography and graphic design are continuing to seek out these stories. More than ever, the office is utilizing their creativity in covering the news of the college. Melinda Semadeni’s initiative has kept communication moving from the college out to faculty, staff and students. One of the main adjustments the team made was in their coverage of convocation. Throughout the years, the External Relations office has highlighted the talented graduates of our college through coverage of our three convocation ceremonies. This year, due to COVID-19, the team responded to the cancellation of these events by quickly creating and implementing the Share Your Story: #CFACgrad campaign in order to keep the magic of graduation alive for our seniors. During this initiative, students were and still are able to submit their stories and share experiences that made their time at BYU special. [...]

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Ed Adams Reappointed as Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communications

Brendan Gwynn — Thu, 21 May 2020 16:58:24 +0000

Adams began his first term June 15, 2015 and will serve in the position for another five years Brigham Young University Academic Vice President C. Shane Reese has announced that Ed Adams has been reappointed as dean of the BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications. “I join in expressing gratitude to Dean Adams for the caliber of his service and for his willingness to continue serving as dean,” Reese said. “He has a genuine concern for our students’ success, and I look forward to more innovation under his capable leadership. I anticipate that he will continue to provide strong leadership to the college and valuable service to the entire university.” Adams was originally appointed as dean of the college in the summer of 2015 and will serve in the position for another five years. He expressed his appreciation for those who have placed their confidence in him. “I want to thank my colleagues in the college for their endorsement, and the BYU administration for their trust in reappointing me to serve five more years as dean,” Adams said. “I’m particularly grateful for the service of associate deans, Amy Jensen, Jeremy Grimshaw and Rory Scanlon. We came in together five years ago and we are still here. They do much to set the working tone and a culture of collaboration in the college. I receive a lot of support and counsel from them.” During his first term as dean, Adams made numerous contributions to the college. These accomplishments include refining rank and status documents and strengthening the process, working closely and being responsive to department chairs and school directors to advance their strategic aims, and establishing a large endowment in the Department of Dance. Adams was also heavily involved in BYU’s approval to construct a new Music Building. “I am thrilled with Adams’ reappointment and know that he will continue to bless the lives of our faculty and students through his inspired leadership,” said Kirt Saville, director of the School of Music. “I have learned so many positive lessons from watching him work through seemingly insurmountable problems. That he has maintained such a positive and cheerful outlook through thick and thin makes him a role model for all of us.” Mark Magleby, museum director at the BYU Museum of Art, echoed Saville’s comments. “If history is any indicator, five more years of Ed Adams as dean of the College of Fine Art and Communications will yield more experiential learning, vastly-improved facilities and multiplied resources for research and creative works,” Magleby said. “His amiable, disciplined nature makes friends and influences nations. His humility is genuine despite the scale of his ambition and intellect. Adams is the very model of modern mentor and disciple.” Prior to his appointment as dean of the college, Adams served in various administrative positions. He accepted a faculty position at BYU in 1999 and has since served as chair of the Department of Communications, director of the School of Communications — during which time he oversaw the department becoming a school — and as an associate dean for the college. Before coming to BYU, Adams managed a magazine publishing company and later taught at Ohio University and Angelo State University.

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BYU Magazine: A Building Just for Music

admin — Mon, 18 May 2020 20:44:20 +0000

A new building will soon make its campus debut, starring BYU’s globally acclaimed School of Music. The BYU Board of Trustees approved the construction of a 170,000-square-foot building in the south end of the parking lot east of the J. Reuben Clark Law School. The new building will house the university’s music programs. The School of Music is currently located in the Franklin S. Harris Fine Arts Center (HFAC), which is also home to four other departments—and is the most-used academic building on campus. The new Music Building will free up space and bring music students above ground, out of the HFAC basement labyrinth of music classrooms and practice rooms. See the full article by Erin Johnston at magazine.byu.edu.

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Highlights from the 2019 CFAC Convocations

admin — Fri, 26 Apr 2019 22:22:58 +0000

The convocation ceremonies were held on April 26 in the Harris Fine Arts Center (HFAC) The College of Fine Arts and Communications held three convocation ceremonies on April 26 in recognition of the CFAC undergraduate and graduate students receiving degrees during BYU’s commencement on April 25, 2019. After a welcome from Dean Ed Adams, the students showcased their work through keynote speeches and musical performances in the de Jong Concert Hall of the Harris Fine Arts Center. Students reflected on what they learned during their time at BYU and expressed their excitement to take the tools they had gathered into their futures. School of Communications Convocation The School of Communications, the first of the college’s ceremonies, had the largest number of graduates in the College of Fine Arts and Communications. News media student Camille Baker spoke first and presented on “The Power of One Step.” Baker focusing on the importance of taking life one step at a time, something she has learned as she has decided on a career path. “No matter what the future holds, taking that first step can be scary and the fear of making a mistake can sometimes paralyze us. But in taking that step, we can start on the path of changing our lives and the lives of others,” said Baker. “When we choose to act, our experiences will become spiritually strengthening, intellectually enlarging, character building, and leading to lifelong learning and service. But it has to start with that first step.” Following Baker’s address, music performance major Christian Hales played “Méditation” from “Thaïs” by Jules Massenet on the bass. Hales was accompanied by Zachary Adamson on the piano. After the musical performance, Spencer Norawong, a public relations student, presented “#the struggle is real.” Norawong described the struggles in his life — including being rejected from both BYU and the PR program the first time around — that have built him into the person he is today. “My time at BYU has not been a cake walk, and as my BYU chapter comes to an end, I feel like the times I’ve felt most satisfied were when I was struggling. My friends, the struggle is real and it is a concept that should be embraced,” said Norawong. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s to take struggles by the horns . . . Life’s not worth wallowing in a struggling funkage.” Department of Art and Department of Design Convocation for the departments of art and design began at noon. Illustration major Melissa Kamba was the first student to take the stage. Her address was titled “Lessons with a Pineapple.” Kamba shared her journey through her major and how she came to understand what she wanted to do with her art. “Unfortunately, when I was younger growing up in my environment, I didn’t come across books with characters that looked like me, or as many characters I could completely relate to culturally,” said Kamba. “Hence, one of the ambitions I have adopted while in this college is to promote and normalize equal representation — showing those whose stories are pushed to the margins of society.” Following her remarks, art education K-12 major Chloe Welch shared her presentation, “Learning to Teach.” She focused on how her experience at BYU has taught her to push herself beyond her limits. “I’ve learned that being an artist enriches every aspect of my life, and my life in turn enriches every aspect of my art,” said Welch. After Kamba and Welch’s addresses, music performance major CJ Madsen performed his own piano composition titled “The Creation of Life.” Afterwards, art major Annelise Duque presented “To Be Close to You.” She discussed how art has allowed her to connect with her ancestors, particularly her maternal grandmother who passed away when Duque was a child. “I search through stories and memories, looking for strains that echo and resonate through to the present as well as speak from the past,” said Duque. “Through these connections, I begin to understand how I am the sum of everyone who came before me.” Sienna Forsyth, a graphic design major, closed the convocation with her presentation titled “What We Are Designed to Do.” She connected her experience designing and refining a typeface with her time at BYU. “I don’t believe that the refining of ourselves will ever stop. We will take our knowledge that we’ve gained at BYU and continue to build on it,” said Forsyth. “Just like the design process of my typeface, we have dotted a few of our i’s and crossed some of our t’s. We’ve prepared ourselves to accomplish what we’ve intended to do in our respective fields. But we must never stop working, refining and discovering better versions of ourselves. It is, after all, what we’ve been designed to do.” School of Music, Department of Dance, and Department of Theatre and Media Arts Catherine Boyack, a music performance major with a woodwind emphasis, opened the convocation with a flute performance of Philippe Gaubert’s “Sonate (1918)—I. Modéré.” She was accompanied by CJ Madsen on the piano. Following their performance, music dance theatre (MDT) major Channing Weir presented “Oh the Places We’ll Go, and the People We’ll Know.” Weir shared some of her favorite life lessons from her friends and faculty mentors at BYU and emphasized that learning and perseverance should continue beyond graduation. “Sometimes life is hard,” said Weir. “Sometimes you’ve been sitting on a bus for nine days straight and suddenly have to get up and perform. There are people in this world that need us to get out there and spread our light.” Morgan Hastings, a dance major, then performed “Sleeping Beauty Wedding Variation,” which was written by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, choreographed by Marius Petipa and restaged by dance faculty member Shayla Bott.

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Directors and Chairs in College of Fine Arts and Communications Reappointed

Amanda Shrum — Tue, 01 May 2018 21:34:17 +0000

The directors and chair were re-appointed with overwhelming support College of Fine Arts and Communications’ Dean Ed Adams announced the reappointment of two school directors and department chair for the college. Ed Carter will continue as director of the School of Communications, Kirt Saville as director of the School of Music and Wade Hollingshaus as chair of the Department of Theatre and Media Arts. “All three received strong support from their respective faculty and staff members,” said Dean Adams in an announcement. “They all had overwhelming support from the dean’s office for the work they’ve done and for their reappointment.” Carter, Saville and Hollingshaus were originally appointed to their positions as directors and chair in the summer of 2015. The reappointment is for another term of three years. All three continue their work as professors in their respective schools and department.

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LDS Philanthropies donor liaison personnel change for the CFAC

Bailey Fruit — Mon, 27 Mar 2017 15:07:47 +0000

Jennifer Amott, LDS Philanthropies donor liaison for the College of Fine Arts and Communications, has been reassigned to manage the President’s Leadership Council and to fundraise for the Harold B. Lee Library. “Jenn has worked diligently for our college and has been a real blessing,” dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communications Ed Adams said. “Her natural ability to cultivate and build relationships is a gift. She has raised significant dollars for the college, but more importantly she has built friendships.” In a message to the college faculty Amott said, “I feel privileged to have partnered with you in promoting, the good, the true and the beautiful in a world that is in need of light. It is a thrill to see the progress that has been made and the world of possibilities ahead.” Damien Bard will take Amott’s position as LDSP donor liaison. Bard joined LDS Philanthropies in February 2014 and has worked in assignments at BYU Athletics and BYU Broadcasting. Bard has helped organize annual Broadcast Leadership Council meetings and facilitate donor cultivation opportunities. This transition officially occurs this month.

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Join us for the 140th Summer Commencement Exercises

Hailey Stevens — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 20:15:50 +0000

Elder Dallin H. Oaks, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is scheduled to be the speaker during Brigham Young University’s Commencement Exercises in the Marriott Center on August 13 at 4:00 p.m. President Russell M. Nelson, also of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, will preside and give remarks. BYU President Kevin J Worthen will conduct the exercises. On Friday, August 14 graduates and faculty from the College of Fine Arts and Communications will gather together with friends and family in the de Jong Concert Hall at the Harris Fine Arts Center for a convocation to celebrate an ending, as well as a beginning, for those graduating in the 140th Summer Commencement Exercises. The convocation program will begin at 8:00 a.m. with a welcome from the new Dean, Ed Adams, and proceed with discourses from graduates Caitlyn Louise Costley, Hannah Elizabeth Richardson, Aubry Dalley, Laura Lee Dearden and Amber Nicole Lauritzen. The speeches will focus on themes such as choosing your own adventure, using imagination, nourishing the world through art and continuing education. Between talks there will be a musical number, Solo de Concert No. 4, op. 77 with Kelsey Jon Ripplinger Edmondson on the oboe and Amalie Simper on the piano.

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ASSOCIATE DEAN SELECTED FOR CFAC

admin — Thu, 09 Jul 2015 23:03:58 +0000

Photo by Nathalie Van Empel Rory R. Scanlon, professor of theatre and media arts, has been appointed to serve a second term as associate dean in the College of Fine Arts and Communications. Ed Adams, dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communications, made the announcement last week and stated that Scanlon’s responsibilities will include Arts Production and Performing Arts Council. “Rory offers a unique opportunity in this college,” commented Adams. “I’ve got strength in Rory to test ideas of design so we don’t waste our time frittering away on impossible dreams–that we can make things happen and come at the issue in a way where we can actually see that something is deliverable. Scanlon received his MFA in costume design at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in 1984 and has been a member of the BYU faculty for 31 years. His area of focus is design technology. He is the past president of the Rocky Mountain Theatre Association, was the Utah representative to RMTA for four years, sat on the Provo City Arts Council for three years and is a regularly invited presenter for the Utah Theatre Association. His design work in costumes, sets and lights includes work with Disney, Hasbro and university/professional productions throughout the United States. Scanlon was professionally involved in a redesign of the 1500 costumes for the Hill Cumorah Pageant for six summers and has worked with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on several other historical costume recreation projects in Salt Lake City, Mesa and Far West. His first book with Costume Fashion Press in New York, “Costume Design Graphics,” was released in 2001. He has previously served as associate dean of Fine Arts and Communications from 2004-2010, as an associate dean of Undergraduate Studies and Director of the BYU Honors Program from 2010-2012, executive producer in the college and associate chair in the Department of Theatre and Media Arts. “What I am excited about in this new position,” said Scanlon, “is that I will be doing what I am already doing!” Scanlon replaces outgoing associate dean Randy Boothe who will continue his responsibilities as an associate professor in the Music, Dance, and Theatre program. Boothe is also the artistic director for the world-renowned Young Ambassadors. Many of his former students are now on Broadway and performing with national touring companies, at Disney World, and on various cruise lines.

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New TMA Chair Announced

admin — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 03:18:28 +0000

Wade Hollingshaus, an associate professor in Theatre and Media Arts, has accepted the position as chair of the department beginning July 15, 2015. The three-year term opened up with the recent appointment of current chair Amy Jensen as associate dean for the College of Fine Arts and Communications. Ed Adams, dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communications, made the announcement July 1 during a special faculty meeting. “Wade is solutions oriented,” said Adams. “I appreciate Wade making the sacrifice and accepting the position.” Hollingshaus received his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 2008 and has served in various area leadership positions. For the past three years Hollingshaus has led the assessment efforts of the department, where he worked to integrate the Aims of a BYU Education into TMA’s assessment measures and outcomes. He has also been integrally involved in the department’s preparation for the NAST accreditation and site visit that will occur in 2017. Adams also praised Jensen for her leadership of the department. “I hold Amy in high regard,” added Adams. “Under Amy’s direction this department is well-respected at the university. Amy has been effective in creating a strong community and has increased faculty engagement.” During Jensen’s tenure, she directed the department’s process for long-term strategic planning, collaboration and teamwork within TMA areas, intra/inter-departmental student mentored projects, retooling of curricular offerings, increased funding for student scholarships and internships, encouraged and supported faculty scholarship, and prepared for and successfully completed university reviews.

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