Franklin S. Harris Fine Arts Center facts for kids
The Franklin S. Harris Fine Arts Center (HFAC) is a major building at Brigham Young University (BYU). It's the main place for the BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications, which includes many different art departments. The HFAC has lots of study rooms, art studios, theater workshops, classrooms, and offices.
You can find the HFAC right next to the BYU Museum of Art. It's also just north of the Wilkinson Student Center.
A famous architect named William Pereira designed the HFAC. He used a style called Brutalism, which was popular when the building was finished in 1964.
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What You'll Find Inside the HFAC
The HFAC is home to many exciting art programs. These include the School of Music, the Department of Theatre and Media Arts, the Department of Art, and the Department of Design. It also hosts BYU Arts Production, which helps put on shows.
This large building has more than 100 rooms! You'll find 53 practice rooms for musicians and four different art galleries where you can see amazing artwork.
The HFAC is also special because it has seven pipe organs. These organs are considered some of the best in Utah. The oldest one was built in 1970, though it has been updated a lot since then.
Special Areas in the HFAC
The HFAC has several unique areas, each designed for different artistic activities.
The de Jong Concert Hall
The De Jong Concert Hall is the biggest room in the HFAC. It's named after Gerrit de Jong, Jr., who was the first leader of the College of Fine Arts at BYU. This hall can seat 1269 people!
It's used for most of the big concerts, including performances by choirs, orchestras, musicals, operas, and dance shows. Sometimes, even outside groups like the Utah Symphony perform here. The de Jong Concert Hall is also used for weekly university meetings during certain times of the year.
B. Cecil Gates Opera Workshop
Right next to the de Jong Concert Hall, you'll find the B. Cecil Gates Opera Workshop. This room is used for students to practice and rehearse their opera productions. It's named after B. Cecil Gates.
Bent F. Larsen Art Gallery
The Larsen Art Gallery is a cool space spread across three levels. Most of the gallery is on the main floor, with two higher levels looking down onto it. This gallery is used for many different art displays.
It also serves as the main lobby for some of the biggest theaters in the building, like the Pardoe, the Madsen Recital Hall, and the de Jong Concert Hall. Sometimes, the Larsen Art Gallery is even used for dances! Many people think it's one of the best art galleries in Provo.
Franklin and Florence Jepperson Madsen Recital Hall
The Madsen Recital Hall is a busy place! During the week, it's used for choir practices. It's also a popular spot for solo and small group performances by students, teachers, and sometimes even visiting artists.
In 2005, this hall was the main location for a big music competition called the Primrose International Viola Competition. This event was supported by the American Viola Society.
Elbert H. Eastmond Art Seminar Room
This room is about 700 square feet (65 square meters). It's designed for short showings of many different types of art objects.
Philip N. Margetts Arena Theatre
The Philip N. Margetts Arena Theatre is very flexible. It's designed so that the seats and the acting area can be set up in almost any part of the room. This allows for unique and creative performances.
Miriam Nelke Experimental Theatre
Besides being used for exciting theater productions, the Miriam Nelke Experimental Theatre also hosts special forums for the College of Fine Arts and Communications on Thursdays.
T. Earl and Kathryn Pardoe Drama Theatre
The Pardoe Drama Theatre can seat 509 people. It has a traditional stage setup, which is great for many different kinds of plays and performances.
Laycock Endowment: Real-World Projects
The Laycock Endowment started in 2003. Its goal is to help students work on real projects for clients. These projects often involve students from different art areas working together.
From 2011 to 2016, a special center called the Laycock Center for Creative Collaboration in the Arts was created to manage this work. Students at the center worked on projects for various BYU groups. They even helped develop a reading app for the U.S. Library of Congress!
