“Veil of Voices” by Rodrigo Cacho, 2026
Donated by Nadine Reimer Penner, Class of 1976
When celebrating 50 years of Bethel College Social Work in October 2024, the department was gifted a commissioned sculpture to add to the Bethel College campus which would represent values and themes of Social Work. The installation and the unveiling of the sculpture is planned for Fall Fest 2026. The sculpture will be located on the south west corner of the Will Academic Center.
Social Work History
Social work has a long tradition of advocating for people who experience oppression and marginalization through poverty, racism, gender discrimination, disability, and other forms of inequity. However, we also acknowledge our profession’s own complicated history and the ways social workers have, at times, participated in systems and practices that have caused harm. Recognizing this history is an important part of our ongoing commitment to accountability, healing, and creating a more just future.
In response to this conflictual history, The Bethel College Social Work Department and its benefactors commissioned a sculpture that represents a future of dignity, hope, and/or justice and a commitment to restoration and repair. We want to acknowledge the pain and suffering of vulnerable populations that has been kept silent for too long.
For more information please see:
- Anabaptist World Column on the Importance of Harm Repair
- Mennonite Abuse Prevention
- Council on Social Work Education Statement of Accountability & Reconciliation for Harms Done to Indigenous and Tribal Peoples
- National Association of Social Workers Resource Page for LGBTQIA+ People
- National Association of Social Workers Standards of Practice in Child Welfare
- Abolitionist Social Work
Artwork
A formal call for Art requested the sculpture be an original work for outdoor installation. After reviewing submissions the Committee chose to commission Mexico City-based artist, Rodrigo Cacho. Cacho’s submission,“Veil of Voices”, is described as a “sculptural chorus of fragmented faces–mouths murmuring, ears listening, eyes watching–capturing the tension between language and silence, presence and absence.” Made of textured steel, the sculpture will feature abstracted facial expressions meant to invite viewers to engage from different perspectives.
This artwork offers a visual expression of our program’s commitment to human dignity and the belief that restoration and repair are possible while honoring the voices and experiences of communities that have historically been underrepresented or harmed. The sculpture will become a permanent part of the Bethel College campus, offering students, faculty, staff, alumni, and visitors an opportunity to pause, reflect, and consider the values that guide social work.
While commissioned in celebration of 50 years of our program, this artwork stands as both a reflection on where we have been, and an invitation to imagine where we can go together as a profession.