It's All Happening!

Ohio Wesleyan Announces the University's April and May 2026 Public Events

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

8 p.m. April 2 - Ohio Wesleyan guest artist recital featuring Francis Favis, percussion, and Alexander Sanso, trumpet, in Jemison Auditorium inside Sanborn Hall, 23 Elizabeth St., Delaware. Admission is free. For more information, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.

8 p.m. April 3, 10, 17, and 24 - Friday night skywatches, at Perkins Observatory, 3199 Columbus Pike (U.S. 23), Delaware. Content varies based on weather conditions, but may include a planetarium show, observatory tours, and stargazing with the 32-inch Schottland Telescope. Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 on the day of the event and at the door. Reserve tickets by calling (740) 363-1257. Learn more at owu.edu/Perkins.

7:30 p.m. April 10-11, 2:30 p.m. April 12, 9 a.m. April 16 (school matinee) and 7:30 p.m. April 17-18 - Ohio Wesleyan spring musical production "Into the Woods," directed by Jennifer Whitehead, on the Main Stage in Chappelear Drama Center, 45 Rowland Ave., Delaware. With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Lapine, "Into the Woods" combines and reimagines fairy tales to tell the story of a baker and his wife who try to break a witch's curse to be able to have children. Tickets are $10 for general admission, $5 for senior citizens, and free for OWU students and employees by visiting owu.edu/PerformingArts beginning two weeks before the show debuts. For questions, call the box office at (740) 368-3855.

4:10-6 p.m. April 16: OWU's annual Student Symposium, featuring presentations that showcase the 2025-2026 research and creative work of Ohio Wesleyan students, in Merrick Hall, 65 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. Admission is free. Learn more at owu.edu/StudentSymposium.

8 p.m. April 16 - Ohio Wesleyan Symphonic Wind Ensemble spring concert, in Gray Chapel inside University Hall, 61 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. Admission is free. For more information, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.

3 p.m. April 19 - Ohio Wesleyan Composition Studio recital, in Jemison Auditorium inside Sanborn Hall, 23 Elizabeth St., Delaware. Admission is free. For more information, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.

8 p.m. April 21 - Ohio Wesleyan student departmental recital, in Jemison Auditorium inside Sanborn Hall, 23 Elizabeth St., Delaware. Admission is free. For more information, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.

8 p.m. April 23 - Ohio Wesleyan Park Avenue Jazz Ensemble concert, in Gray Chapel inside University Hall, 61 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. Admission is free. For more information, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.

8 p.m. April 24 and 2 p.m. April 25 - Ohio Wesleyan Terpsicorps 25/26 dance recital, in Chappelear Drama Center, 45 Rowland Ave., Delaware. Admission is free. For more information, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.

7 p.m. April 26 - Ohio Wesleyan senior recital featuring Abigail Bennett, voice, and Morgan Vaughn, piano/organ, in Gray Chapel inside University Hall, 61 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. Admission is free. For more information, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.

Noon April 27 - Ohio Wesleyan's 2026 Environmental and Natural Resource Symposium, in Room 301 of Merrick Hall, 65 S. Sandusky St. After a panel discussion of Trump Administration environmental policy positions over the past year, event moderator Will Georgic, Ph.D., OWU assistant professor of economics, will lead an audience discussion. The symposium is sponsored by The Woltemade Center for Economics, Business and Entrepreneurship. Admission is free. Learn more at owu.edu/Woltemade.

9 p.m. May 1, 8, 15, and 29 - Friday night skywatches, at Perkins Observatory, 3199 Columbus Pike (U.S. 23), Delaware. Content varies based on weather conditions, but may include a planetarium show, observatory tours, and stargazing with the 32-inch Schottland Telescope. Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 on the day of the event and at the door. Reserve tickets by calling (740) 363-1257. Learn more at owu.edu/Perkins.

3 p.m. May 3: Delaware Youth Wind Symphony concert, in Gray Chapel inside University Hall, 61 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. The symphony includes members of high school band programs who want to perform concert band music with other talented students. Admission is free. For more information, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.

7 p.m. May 8: Baccalaureate, a 60-minute celebration planned by graduating seniors to celebrate their OWU spiritual and educational journeys, in Gray Chapel inside University Hall, 61 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. Admission is free. Learn more at owu.edu/chaplain.

1 p.m. May 9: Ohio Wesleyan's 182nd commencement ceremony celebrating the OWU Class of 2026, outdoors on the Rock Quad in front of Merrick Hall, 65 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. The ceremony will be streamed live online at owu.edu/stream. Admission is free. (If moved indoors for inclement weather, seating is limited, and tickets are required.) Learn more at owu.edu/commencement.

Richard M. Ross Art Museum

Opening April 11

• April 11 - May 9 - Ohio Wesleyan Fine Arts graduating senior exhibition, featuring juried works by the OWU Class of 2026. The exhibit will open with a free public reception from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 11, at the museum. OWU's Department of Fine Arts offers Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degrees with majors in Fine Arts, Studio Art, Art Education, and Art History.
• April 11 - June 28 - Rod Bouc Landscapes, featuring Midwest-inspired creations made with oil sticks, charcoals, and pastels. The exhibit will open with a free public reception from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 11, at the museum. "Because of my interest in surface, color, and composition, the work sometimes moves from the representational to abstraction," Bouc says. "In this way, I can achieve a new synthesis of representation that includes saturated color and attention to surface." Learn more at www.rodbouc.com.
• May 15 - June 28 - "Uncharted Land: Never Before Seen Landscapes from the Ross Collection," featuring works from the museum's permanent collection, including works by Andrew Wyeth, Mark Gingerich, and longtime OWU Professor Richard Wengenroth (now deceased).

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 features artists, activists, and scholars and their efforts to confront and improve the world around them.

• 6:30 p.m. April 14 - Eve Warnock presents "Collaborative Art and Invasive Species." Warnock is the founding artist of OBLSK, a creative group of artists, inventors, and designers who create interactive installations. Her latest work has been a collaboration with the Columbus Parks and Recreation to use removed invasive plants in environmental sculptures for Columbus Arborfest.
• 6:30 p.m. April 21 - Ohio Wesleyan faculty member Carolina Barbosa presents "Open Data and Open Science." Barbosa, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of Environment & Sustainability and an advocate for open science practices through her work with the grassroots networks DSOS (Data Science and Open Science in Aquatic Research) and GLEON (Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network. She is a freshwater researcher enthusiastic about water quality modeling and management.

Children and Family Events

• 2-4 p.m. April 12 - Crafternoon at the Ross: Community Open Studio. Bring a craft to work on or use the museum's craft supplies to make something new. This event is open to the general public, with all ages and abilities welcome to attend.

Ohio Wesleyan's Richard M. Ross Art Museum is located at 60 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. The museum is handicap-accessible, and admission is always free. Call (740) 368-3606 or visit owu.edu/Ross or https://www.facebook.com/RossArtMuseum for more information.

Academic Year Museum Hours

• Through May 8 - 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.

Special Event and Summer Museum Hours

• May 15 - 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Reunion Weekend special hours.
• May 16 - 10 a.m. - 8 p.m., Reunion and Delaware Arts Festival weekend special hours.
• May 17 - 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Reunion and Delaware Arts Festival weekend special hours.
• Regular summer hours - Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. through June 28. (Closed June 29 - Aug. 10 for summer break.)

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.