Resolve to Be There

Resolve to Be There

Ohio Wesleyan Announces the University's January 2026 Public Events

DELAWARE, Ohio - Ohio Wesleyan University, including its Richard M. Ross Art Museum, announced its January 2026 public events today. Unless otherwise noted, admission is free.

9:45-11:45 a.m. Jan. 19 - The 33rd annual MLK Celebration, in the Benes Rooms of Ohio Wesleyan's Hamilton-Williams Campus Center, 40 Rowland Ave., Delaware. Doors will open at 9:45 a.m. for the event themed "The Lantern Keepers: Preserving the Flame of Justice." The keynote speaker is Sierra Austin-King, Ph.D., assistant professor of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Black Studies, with teaching and research experiences at The Ohio State and Denison universities, as well as the Ohio Reformatory for Women. The event will include brunch, a blessing by Pastor Alvin Asiamah of Soul Restoration Ministry, and a performance by professional vocalist, actress, and educator Chrissy T. Individual tickets are $35, and event sponsorships are $260 for a table of eight. Tickets will be available for purchase online until Jan. 10. Proceeds support the Delaware County MLK Scholarship Program. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit owu.edu/MLK.

Richard M. Ross Art Museum

Continuing its year-long curatorial and programmatic exploration of environmental issues, Ohio Wesleyan University's Richard M. Ross Art Museum is showcasing three exhibits in December that feature artists reacting to "humanity's impact on our planet," says Christopher Yates, museum director. Please note: The museum will be closed Dec. 15 through Jan. 13, 2026, for winter break.

• Opening Jan. 13 and continuing through March 29 - "The Water Holds Me" by Suda House. This photography exhibition will include a free opening reception from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Jan. 27. Based in California, House uses the "magical medium" of photography, she says, "with the hope that my images inspire you to see, to experience, and to capture images that reflect your personal vision. It is this power of the individual voice - one's unique vantage point on the world that fuels us all to be the best we can be both as photographers-artists but also as extraordinary human beings." Learn more at www.sudahouse.com.
• Continuing through March 29 - "Demarcations and Delineations" by Michelle Stitzlein, giving new life to discarded materials pulled from the waste stream. Stitzlein uses the recycled material to create imaginary topographies. Learn more at www.artgrange.com/michellesculpture.html.
• Continuing through March 29 - "Our Changing Landscape: Life in the Anthropocene," curated to support OWU's First Year Seminar Curriculum and featuring more than 30 artists. The exhibit sheds light on man-made environmental destruction, creative climate solutions, and the dream of a better future.

Art and the Environment Talk Series

This year, the Ross Art Museum, in collaboration with the Department of Environment & Sustainability, will host a series of talks on the intersection of art and the environment. This series includes artists, activists, and scholars and their efforts to confront and change the world around them for the better.

• 6:30 p.m. Jan. 20 - Michelle Stitzlein, whose "Demarcations and Delineations" is on exhibit at the Ross, presents "Reuse as Art." The Ohio-based artist uses her work to showcase the beauty of nature, creating faux flora utilizing the waste of humanity, including mass-produced products such as hoses, electrical wire, and tubing.
• 6:30 p.m. Jan. 27 - Suda House, whose "The Water Holds Me" exhibit opens Jan. 13, presents "Women, Arts in the Plastic Age." A photographer and retired professor at Grossmont College in California, House focuses on the strength of women. Her recent body of work deals with the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and the seven nymph sisters, the Pleiades.

Children and Family Events

• 2 p.m. Jan. 18 - Enjoy a children's MLK Day story and create a make-and-take peace sign. This free craft is open to all ages.
• 1-5 p.m. Jan. 25 - Join your neighbors and friends for a Community Mending Circle featuring sewing, crocheting, and knitting.

Ohio Wesleyan's Richard M. Ross Art Museum is located at 60 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. During the academic year, the Ross is open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed Saturdays and Mondays. The museum is handicap-accessible, and admission is always free. Call (740) 368-3606 or visit owu.edu/Rossor www.facebook.com/RossArtMuseumfor more information.

All Ohio Wesleyan public events are subject to change. For the latest updates, visit owu.edu/calendar. For more Battling Bishop athletics events, visit battlingbishops.com.

Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation's premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers more than 70 undergraduate majors and competes in 24 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Through its signature experience, the OWU Connection, Ohio Wesleyan teaches students to understand issues from multiple academic perspectives, volunteer in service to others, build a diverse and global perspective, and translate classroom knowledge into real-world experience through internships, research, and other hands-on learning. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book "Colleges That Change Lives" and included on the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review "Best Colleges" lists. Connect with OWU expert interview sources at owu.edu/experts or learn more at owu.edu.