University of Montevallo Art Class Collaborating with Baptist Health

May 27, 2026

An art class at the University of Montevallo will be utilizing the creative talent of students in the College of Education and Human Development and College of Fine Arts to provide a welcoming space for patients and staff in the Adult and Senior Behavioral Health units at Baptist Health in Alabaster.

The class is led by Misty Bennett, UM professor of art and director of painting concentration, and includes four graduate students pursuing a master’s in art education at UM and seven undergraduate art students. The class is student-driven, with UM students designing the work, presenting proposals to a committee of Baptist Health administrators for feedback and painting two murals on the walls of the hospital.

“It’s a great example of experiential learning and service-oriented collaborative work,” Bennett said.

Through the class, students will be able to examine how community-based art can enhance the spatial and emotional experience of shared environments. The course emphasizes the role of public art in fostering engagement, care and accessibility, with particular attention to creating meaningful visual experiences in spaces that serve vulnerable populations.

Graduate students will take on leadership roles in the course. During the ideation portion of the design process, students will be broken up into three groups. One graduate student will lead each group in the development of a proposal, and the graduate student will be tasked with presenting the proposal (with the help of their team) to the committee at the hospital. This will provide public speaking and communication skill development in addition to educational leadership experience.

The theme for the murals is Nurtured by Nature, and students are planning to bring color and life into the space to lift the spirits of the patients and staff.

“Because this mural is for patients who are in the middle of a stressful period of their lives, we want to emphasize a feeling of peace and harmony with nature,” Bennett said. “Emerging research on mental health reveals that time spent in nature can be both mentally and physically healing.”