The Ross Museum has a new Director!

Erin Fletcher, M.A., to Work to ‘Capitalize on the Ross’s Historic Strengths’

DELAWARE, Ohio – Ohio Wesleyan University today announced the appointment of Erin Fletcher, M.A., as director of its Richard M. Ross Art Museum and campus galleries. Fletcher currently serves as exhibitions coordinator for The Ohio State University Libraries and Billy Ireland Cartoon Art Museum in Columbus.

At Ohio Wesleyan, Fletcher will oversee exhibits at the Ross Art Museum as well as at the university’s Gallery 2001 and Mowry Alumni Gallery. She also will coordinate lectures and other events with guest exhibitors and curators; curate the museum’s permanent collection of more than 2,500 artworks; help solicit gifts and grants to support the museum, teach courses related to her expertise (such as gallery management); and provide leadership in museum marketing and community outreach.

Susan McDonough, chair of the Ross Art Museum’s National Board of Advisors and a member of the search committee, said Fletcher has a history of collaboration and success that will serve her well in her new role.

“We’re so excited,” said McDonough, a 1974 OWU graduate. “Erin is smart, articulate, and used to working in the college environment. … We were in unanimous agreement that she’d be a perfect fit to continue the Ross’s mission.”

Fletcher joined Ohio State in 2013 and previously worked as a retreat and residency coordinator for the Kentucky Foundation for Women. She also has completed arts-related internships and fellowships at organizations including the San Francisco Public Library; Headlands Center for the Arts in Sausalito, California; and Cressman Center for the Visual Arts in Louisville, Kentucky.

She holds a Master of Arts degree in curatorial practice from California College of the Arts, a Master of Arts certificate in museum studies and education from John F. Kennedy University, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in sculpture and curatorial practice from the University of Louisville. She will join the Ohio Wesleyan family on Aug. 1.

Fletcher said she is excited to continue the work begun by her predecessor, Justin Kronewetter, M.F.A., who is retiring after nearly 15 years as the Ross Art Museum’s inaugural director. Kronewetter also is an Ohio Wesleyan professor emeritus of fine arts.

“I am delighted to join the OWU family as director of the Ross Art Museum,” Fletcher said. “It will be an honor to build on the legacy of Justin Kronewetter. Academic museums provide a space for exploration and innovation that is essential to a 21st century learning community. It’s been my lifelong dream to work at a liberal arts university, and I look forward to collaborating with OWU’s excellent faculty, engaging with the student body, and responding to the needs of the broader community.”

Ohio Wesleyan’s Richard M. Ross Museum, 60 S. Sandusky St., Delaware, opened in fall 2002, following two years of renovations to the building, a former U.S. Post Office. The project received significant financial support from philanthropist Elizabeth M. Ross, now deceased. The museum features 2,986 square feet of exhibition space in four galleries, as well as offices and preparatory and storage spaces. The museum’s mission is to mount exhibitions that support and enhance both the curriculum of the OWU Department of Fine Arts and the liberal arts teaching mission of the university.

During the academic year, the Ross Art Museum is open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed Monday and Saturday. The facility is handicap-accessible and admission is always free. Learn more at owu.edu/ross or www.facebook.com/RossArtMuseum.

Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers 87 undergraduate majors and competes in 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Ohio Wesleyan combines a challenging, internationally focused curriculum with off-campus learning and leadership opportunities to connect classroom theory with real-world experience. OWU’s 1,675 students represent 43 U.S. states and territories and 33 countries. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” listed on the latest President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction, and included in the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review “best colleges” lists. Learn more at owu.edu.