New mural installation at Bethel: Embracing art, identity, and community

As Bethel University transitions into the new academic year, a new and striking mural by artist Kaye Lee Patton is now on view in the Barnes Academic Center (BAC). Patton’s piece, titled 쑥쑥, 무럭무럭 (Dandelions 민들레), succeeds Dale Johnson’s Reconciliation Mural, continuing the university's tradition of using art to foster dialogue, community, and commitment to reconciliation.  

The installation of this mural was a collaborative effort between the Art and Design Department and the Marketing and Communications Department. Gallery Director and Professor of Art Michelle Wingard says this new installation is more than just a visual experience; it is an invitation to delve into themes of identity, belonging, and connection. “For me, her work embodies the way we are called to be in community, to build bridges, to listen, and to care for one another,” says Wingard. Wingard notes that Patton uses dialectical perspective to guide the viewer’s attention, allowing them to engage with how different elements of the mural align, shift, and ultimately—connect. “Patton’s work commands our attention with its aesthetically beautiful craft and its shifts in perspective from one plane to the next," she says. “To move past it is to notice the cascading shapes, bright colors, references to computer screens, waterfalls, and dandelions.” 

Patton’s personal journey from Korea to the United States significantly influences her art, which often explores the complexities of identity and community. For this particular piece, Patton had been working with its sets of shapes, symbols, colors and composition during her relocation period across the U.S. that coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic. For Patton, that experience also brought up questions on a broader scale—of what it means to be rooted and growing as an immigrant. "What does it mean to put down roots? To create a place of belonging?" she says.

The title of the artwork, 쑥쑥, 무럭무럭, is a Korean onomatopoeia for the words used for “growth” or “growing well”. For Patton, moving came with sets of questions about putting down new roots—creating relationships and forming a community. "It was during a time when keeping 'old' relationships was a challenge and forming new relationships was even more difficult. During tough times, it takes work to make space for something new. Through negotiation, work, hospitality, collaboration, and even chaos—we must see each other, hear one another and continuously work with each other to make meaning in the midst of confusion and find hope through our imagination," she says. 

The new mural continues the values depicted in Dale Johnson’s Reconciliation Mural, which has been a focal point of the BAC for nearly 20 years and symbolizes reconciliation and community-building. His art has come down for restoration and preservation purposes. Reflecting on Johnson’s legacy, Wingard observes, “Dales’s care for BIPOC communities, his work with students to build bridges, and the way he continually looked to understand a diversity of perspectives—remains in the fabric of who Bethel is.”

Patton’s new mural aligns with Johnson’s spirit of fostering growth, inclusivity, and connection. “I think Kaye’s mural continues the work that Dale’s Reconciliation Mural called our community to—creating a visual reminder of our commitment to the work of reconciliation and reminding us that growing forward is an action,” Wingard says.

Patton, whose work was previously featured in the Olson Gallery’s Hard Edges, Soft Focus exhibition, was selected for her ability to address themes of belonging and intersectionality. Patton’s prior engagement with Bethel and her deep understanding of community dynamics made her an ideal choice for the project. “As someone who has worked in design, has done community murals, has a robust art studio practice, and teaches at a faith-based college—she was able to understand and create something that would speak to the space and to our community,” Wingard says.

As the new academic year begins, Patton’s mural will be incorporated into the curriculum of the Art and Design Department and Introduction to the Creative Arts (ICA) courses. “I’m looking forward to spending time with our ICA students looking at and unpacking the meaning and visual language of both Kaye and Dale’s murals,” says Wingard. The artworks enhance Bethel’s campus environment and serve as valuable educational resources.

Patton’s mural signifies a vibrant new chapter in Bethel’s artistic journey. “Together, we are creating a space for all to belong and thrive,” Wingard says. Patton’s new mural display reaffirms Bethel’s commitment to joy, connection, and renewal, inviting everyone to engage with and reflect on the powerful art that surrounds us.

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