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!

Happy New Year!

We open tomorrow with our first exhibits of 2015...mixed-media drawings by Larry Cressman, and selections from the Ross Museum's Permanent Collection.

It's been a very busy break for us, between taking down & packing up the last exhibits, and getting the new ones up. Hopefully all will enjoy the artwork, which includes Larry's constructed drawings
....intricate twigs and branches, painted and then pinned into patterns like a pencil drawing. I'm fascinated by the cast shadows on the wall, as well. Covering Ground will only be on display until February 15th, so don't wait, come in soon!


The artwork from the Permanent Collection includes many pieces that are very recent acquisitions, either gifts or purchases (hence the title One Way or the Other)

Some of my favorites:

Dreams, awe and shadows

Our latest exhibits here at the Ross Museum focus on memories, half-hidden and fleeting, in a variety of ways. Husband and wife artists Elizabeth and John Fergus-Jean present installation, photographs and photos on metal in varying themes that all deal with our memory.

Elizabeth Fergus-Jean has installed Dreamscape in the Kuhlman Gallery, featuring real branches festooned with paperclay canoes to transport the viewer.


John Fergus-Jean invites the viewer into the hallway with a modern take on a 19th century photographic technique in his exhibit Penumbrae and layers multiple images into a shadowy new viewpoint.


Elizabeth Fergus-Jean shares her photography under her pseudonym Izze Frances in the West Gallery, presenting black and white images of classic spots around the world in a dreamlike style under the title Awe.

All three exhibits are open until 5pm on Thursday, December 18th, so please stop by for a visit!

Wonder at our Metamorphosis

2 new exhibits, both exciting and diverse!

First off, we have The Wonder of it All by Clark Winter '73, a collection of photographs large and small, scattered salon-style on our walls, plus a looping video.








Then we have Metamorphosis, which includes the painted fabric constructions of Pamela Becker '64, plus her meticulous baskets, as well as photocollages and nature photography.




Both exhibits will be on view until November 2nd, so be sure to stop by anytime the Open flag is flying!

Fall 2014 - Art Everywhere!

It's a new academic year, and Fall 2014 is underway! There are 4 excellent exhibitions up and open for all to enjoy.

In the Ross Museum, we have 2 alumni exhibitors: Chris Kahler '91: Chris Kahler: Two Decades and Jim Zivic '83: Tightrope: The Line Between Art and Design.

Jim shares his drawings, plans, photographs, furniture and sculpture in the Kuhlman Gallery, and in the Mayhew and West Galleries, we have Chris' paintings.



In Gallery 2001 on the first floor of Beeghly Library, John Sabraw has created a new series for the 2014 Sagan National Colloquium on the theme of Water. John uses minerals from the run-off of mining to create beautiful pigments.


In Mowry Alumni Center, the work of Ann Seiler O'Brien '69 is on display on both floors. Ann uses egg tempera and acrylic to create her abstracts and landscapes.

Summer at the Ross

School's out, and we're enjoying our summertime exhibit, the QSDS (Quilt Surface Design Symposium) Invitational art quilt exhibit! Quilts from all over the U.S. plus Israel and Australia, showcasing the creativity of the medium. Our summer hours are Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 1-5pm, Thursdays 1-7pm. We'll be open thru July 3rd, so stop on by!

(image: Mary Ann Tipple and her artwork)

New Art/New Mexico

26 artists from New Mexico are very well represented in our newest exhibit! We opened yesterday, albeit still putting a few finishing touches on things.

Tomorrow (Thursday, February 13th) one of the artists, Nancy Sutor, will be giving the Keynote Address at 4:10pm in Room 121 in Edgar Hall, which is just across the street. There is also a reception from 4:30-6:30pm in the museum.

Throughout the length of the exhibition, which runs until March 30th, there will be more visiting artists from the show. Unfortunately, we couldn't arrange for every artist to come to Ohio, but their work is magnificent and speaks for itself!

So many disciplines of art-making are represented: Painting, monoprinting, photography, ceramics, jewelry, metal sculpture, collage, drawing. There are 154 works to inspire and awe!

The Color of Money

Gallery 2001 in Beeghly Library is the place for our newest exhibit, Confederate Currency: The Color of Money by John W. Jones.

Mr. Jones will be on campus Tuesday, February 18th to give an illustrated talk in the Bayley Room of Beeghly library at 7pm, to be followed by a reception in the Gallery.

Mr. Jones talks about this exhibit:

[this] is a journey that started in 1996 while working as a graphic artist at a blueprint company in Charleston. After enlarging a Confederate bank note for a customer, I found myself looking at a picture of slaves picking cotton. Intrigued and excited, I started researching and documenting the use of slaves on Confederate and Southern states money. I was astonished by the widespread use of slaves on these currencies, and even more shocked by the absence of this information in any history books. The engravings on the bills are so small, that unless you were looking for them, you would miss them...

I decided to bring these engravings to light, as an addition to my series of paintings of the African American experience. I present the engravings as originally portrayed on the currencies without revision. I have used my colorful acrylics on canvas to bring the paintings back to life, and to extract from the dehumanizing engravings, the essential humanity of their subject matter... My hope is that the exhibition "The Color of Money" will inspire meaningful conversation on these issues and somehow help to heal our wounds.

John W. Jones Columbia, South Carolina

Fine Art Faculty exhibit is Open!

The 2013-2014 Fine Art Faculty exhibit is open and looks great! There will be a reception tomorrow (Thursday, December 5th) from 4-6pm with refreshments, live music, and it's free!

We will close for the holidays from December 20 - January 13th, then we'll open again January 14th until February 2, 2014.

A super show by 8 OWU faculty members, covering a range of media and techniques: ceramics, painting, photography, sculpture, printmaking and felting.

Don't miss it!

Inspiring new exhibits

We're busy installing 2 new exhibits to open on Sunday, October 13th with a reception for the artists from 2-4pm!

Melinda Rosenberg creates wall sculptures from reclaimed wood, and Rod Bouc paints landscapes and draws evocative clouds. Both artists are from Columbus, and both will be here for the reception on Sunday. Be sure to stop by!

Another great Fall Semester...

...with stunning artwork! We are open for the 2013-2014 Academic Year, showcasing the amazing photography of Caleb Cain Marcus and his portfolio "A Portrait of Ice" as well as the mesmerizing large scale drawings and paintings of John Sabraw from his "Chroma", "Gamut", "Supplication" and "Unified Theory" series.

Check out our Facebook page for announcements regarding Artist Talks, Receptions, special weekend hours!