The BYU Arts Building is expected to finish construction in November 2025, with the space ready for use by fall 2026.
With construction beginning two years ago, arts students have long awaited a place they can call home. That wait has been filled with uncertainty and, at times, frustration.
Brennan Davis was initially rejected from BYU’s prestigious animation program. However, passion and hard work earned him a place, and he recently completed his first year in the department.
“(Animation) is what I’ve always wanted to do,” Davis said. “That’s why I came to BYU.”
The program is known for sending students to big-name companies like Blizzard, Pixar and DreamWorks.
Pursuing character animation has been a dream come true for Davis, but it hasn’t looked exactly as he once hoped.
Good art requires inspiration, but since 2022, Davis and other arts students have been perfecting their craft in a rather uninspired setting — the former Provo High School.
The demolition of the Franklin S. Harris Fine Arts Center (HFAC) has made this move necessary, and a new building is underway. In the meantime, however, Cougars in the arts have been tolerating rather mediocre circumstances.
“We’re competing with illustration or graphic design for lab space and things like that,” Davis said.
The current building has few accommodations for the wide variety of artistic pursuits, and each department is “on top of each other," he said.
The building is also known for being run-down and, frankly, inconsistent with BYU’s pristine campus.
“Sometimes the water doesn’t work and we can’t go to the bathroom,” said Meg Brownell, a student in the art program.
Ready to pursue their passion in an ideal space, Davis, Brownell and other students are anxiously awaiting the opening of BYU’s new Arts Building, which is estimated to finish construction this upcoming November.
School of Fine Arts and Communications Dean Ed Adams is also excited about the impact the Arts Building will have on campus. He explained what makes the building special and why students should be excited about it.
There will be ample creative spaces, including a cinema, film studio and post-production area.
Students studying commercial music will also have a music-mixing area in the cinema, where they can have a real-time visual display to put their sound over.
There will be numerous art galleries and makerspaces, as well as what Adams calls a “collaborative hub” where graphic designers, illustrators, animators and more can all work in tandem.
“We don’t think about this, but if you’re in the design field, you never work alone,” he said. “Your design doesn’t exist in itself; it exists as it works with other people that surround you.”
Not only will the Arts Building be a haven for arts students, but Adams said it’s intended to become a special space for everyone on BYU's campus.
Differing from the HFAC’s concrete architecture, which Adams said had “old Soviet Union” vibes, this building will have a warmer, open-concept design. Students will have a wide selection of gathering spaces, letting them take a breather during a busy day and be inspired by beauty.
“The building itself is a piece of art,” Adams said. Massive windows will let light spill into the corridors, various forms of art will be on display, and there will even be “shy lights” that move and change as the day goes on.
“When you’re doing art all day, it’s great to have a second where you can just sit and look out,” Brownell said.
It will also increase awareness about the arts. A three-story proscenium stage will add magic to theatrical performances and other shows, and the building’s central location on campus will make it easy to step inside.
Adams talked about the divine value of the new arts building. Referencing Spencer W. Kimball’s Second-Century Address, he said:
“I feel very strongly that (the arts and music building) was inspired. These are not just learning environments. These are going to be environments to help build spirituality and testimony among our students."
It’s unclear exactly when the building will be ready for daily use. Moving heavy equipment and preparing final details will likely take until the summer of 2026.