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.

Summertime is for Quilts!

Art Quilts, from the Quilt Surface Design Symposium's 2016 Invitational, Party On!

The theme was meant to encompass all the various meanings of the word "party", including celebrations of birth, retirement, loss of a loved one (wakes), as well as the political variety. In response, 31 quilts were accepted by the jury, and are on view now!

The exhibit will be up through July 1st, and the Ross Museum will be open on our summertime schedule: Sunday, Tuesday & Wednesday, 1pm - 5pm, Thursdays 1pm - 7pm.

New Year, New Exhibits

With the New Year begun, we've just opened new exhibits in the Ross Museum.

We've got an elegant show of sculpture by Wooster, Ohio resident Walter Zurko in our Kuhlman gallery. Walter has used a variety of materials including plywood, OSB and cardboard for his most recent series of work.


In our center gallery, we are displaying the recently donated works by another Ohio resident, David Jansheski. David's untimely passing last year left unfinished a planned larger exhibition of his work here at the Ross. The Trust set up in his name graciously donated a range of his work and it is now on display.

In the West Gallery, more and recent acquisitions in the museum's collection are on view, including this gorgeous bronze tiger by Anna Hyatt Huntington, donated by the estate of longtime Delaware, Ohio residents and friends John and Libby Reed.

Finally, in the front Lobby gallery, our museum collection of photographs of artists, taken by other artists, continues for a few more weeks.

Stop in soon, it's warm inside!

In Close Proximity

The 2015-16 Fine Arts Studio Faculty show is open! Seven artists working in seven mediums, all with different viewpoints and expressions.

The opening reception will be 4-6pm on Thursday, December 3rd. The exhibit will be closed from December 18 - January 11, 2016 for the holiday break, but will re-open on January 12 through January 31, 2016, so be sure to stop in!

The Artists: Kristina Bogdanov, Cindy Cetlin, Frank Hobbs, Jim Krehbiel, Justin Kronewetter, Jeff Nilan and Jon Quick

Landscapes to Compare and Contrast

The newest exhibits are open, just in time for Homecoming Weekend here at OWU. There are 3 new shows in 2 locations: Sally Christiansen Harris '76 has a great display of gorgeous photographs in Mowry Alumni Center, where they'll be on view until December 8, 2015. The photos are from all over the world, and Sally has captured incredible moments with her camera. You can read more about Sally and her work on Connect2OWU HERE


The Ross Museum is featuring pieces from our Permanent Collection in the Lobby gallery to honor National Spanish Heritage month, and in the other galleries, the work of two landscape painters are highlighted.

Paul Ching-Bor uses watercolors and massive sheets of paper to create very intense, dark images of New York City, where he's lived and worked for many years. The tension between a medium that's normally thought of as delicate, but is presented in such a deep, somber way is something Paul wants the viewer to experience. His exhibit is titled "Sur", and you can read more about it on Connect2OWU HERE

Todd Gordon is originally from Delaware, and his parents still live and work here. His landscapes also feature many views of New York City, and the contrast with Paul's work is striking. Todd uses oils on canvas, and creates intricate scenes that remind the viewer of panoramic photographs, very long, sometimes very narrow. The details really draw you into the paintings. You can read more about Todd's exhibit titled "Matter of Fact" on Connect2OWU HERE

2015-2016 Season Opening!

We're back from the summer break, with 2 outstanding exhibitions in the Ross Museum.

Eric Nation sculpture and Howard Little paintings:



Howard Little is a Delaware, Ohio native, part of a distinguished family with ties to Ohio Wesleyan University, the Arts Castle, Presidents and more! His paintings focus mainly on the California coast, with pieces covering the southwest and New England as well.

Eric Nation is Howard's grandson, and a sculptor in his own right, using furniture forms as the starting point for his provocative pieces.


Eric will be on campus Thursday, September 3rd to give a talk at 7pm, followed by a reception in the Museum from 8-10pm. Check out our Facebook page for more information.

Retrospective and gifts

We open our newest exhibits tomorrow, February 24th:

Edmund Kuehn: A Retrospective features over 75 works by the late Columbus artist, tracing his entire career, and filling three of the four galleries. Painting and collage in a riot of colors will fascinate everyone.





Gifted features works from the museum's Teaching Collection that were all gifts: some from alumni of Ohio Wesleyan, others from generous souls.



The work will be up through April 5th, so stop by soon!