By Cole Hatcher
Ohio Wesleyan University’s Department of Performing Arts and Richard M. Ross Art Museum invite the community to attend the many concerts, recitals, plays, and art exhibitions planned for OWU’s 2023-2024 academic year.
Please note that all event information is subject to change at any time throughout the year. For the latest details and newest campus events, visit owu.edu/events or “like” www.facebook.com/OhioWesleyanUniversityNews.
PERFORMING ARTS EVENTS
7:30 p.m. Sept. 23 – “Scenes!” featuring performances staged by the Theatre Directing Class on the Main Stage of Chappelear Drama Center, 45 Rowland Ave., Delaware. This 30-minute event features new students as actors and may contain adult themes and language. “Scenes!” is presented by the OWU chapter of the Theta Alpha Phi National Theatre Honors Fraternity. Admission is free. For more information, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.
7:30 p.m. Oct. 5-7 and 2 p.m. Oct. 7-8 – “365 Days/365 Plays,” by Suzan-Lori Parks. Written between 2002 and 2003, Parks’ plays remain relevant in today’s modern socio-political climate, says Bradford Sadler, the show’s artistic director. Ohio Wesleyan students will perform 24 of the 365 plays, most of which are less than five minutes long. “Each play is independent, but important national themes will recur, including trauma, gun violence, immigration, war and its emotional aftermath, the treatment of women in our national society, and the LGBTQIA+ community’s fears in contemporary America,” said Sadler, a 2005 OWU graduate and Performing Arts instructor. “365 Days/365 Plays” will feature a directing team, each of whom will direct four scripts. The directors are expected to include faculty members Sadler and Lusie Cuskey, and students Dyna Bresson, Chloe Williams, Miriam Lang, and Isabelle Tinti-Kane. The plays contain adult themes and are not suitable for children. “365 Days/365 Plays” will be performed in the Studio Theatre of Chappelear Drama Center, 45 Rowland Ave., Delaware. Admission is free, but reservations are required by visiting owu.edu/PerformingArts beginning two weeks before the show debuts. For questions, call the box office at (740) 368-3855.
8 p.m. Oct. 10 – Ohio Wesleyan’s Symphonic Wind Ensemble, conducted by professor Richard Edwards, in Gray Chapel inside University Hall, 61 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. Admission is free. For more information, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.
3 p.m. Oct. 29 – OWU senior student recital, featuring Hannah Barenthin, clarinet, in Jemison Auditorium inside Sanborn Hall, 23 Elizabeth St., Delaware. Admission is free. For more information, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.
8 p.m. Nov. 3-4 – OWU musical theatre scenes, directed by associate professor Jennifer Whitehead, in Jemison Auditorium inside Sanborn Hall, 23 Elizabeth St., Delaware. Admission is free. For more information, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.
3 p.m. Nov. 5 – OWU senior student recital, featuring Logan Page, trumpet, in Jemison Auditorium inside Sanborn Hall, 23 Elizabeth St., Delaware. Admission is free. For more information, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.
8 p.m. Nov. 9 – Ohio Wesleyan’s Chamber Orchestra, conducted by instructor Deborah Price, in Gray Chapel inside University Hall, 61 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. Admission is free. For more information, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.
8 p.m. Nov. 10-11 and 2 p.m. Nov. 11 – Orchesis 23/24, a contemporary dance concert featuring original choreography and performances by Ohio Wesleyan student dancers. Directed by instructor Janet Schroeder, the concert will be performed in Chappelear Drama Center, 45 Rowland Ave., Delaware. Admission is free, but reservations are required by visiting owu.edu/PerformingArts beginning two weeks before the show debuts. For questions, call the box office at (740) 368-3855.
7 p.m. Nov. 11 – Ohio Wesleyan’s Choral Art Society and Chamber Choir, conducted by associate professor Jason Hiester, in Gray Chapel inside University Hall, 61 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. Admission is free. For more information, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.
8 p.m. Nov. 14 – Ohio Wesleyan’s Park Avenue Jazz Ensemble, conducted by instructor Kevin Turner, in Gray Chapel inside University Hall, 61 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. Admission is free. For more information, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.
8 p.m. Nov. 28 – OWU student recital, in Jemison Auditorium inside Sanborn Hall, 23 Elizabeth St., Delaware. Admission is free. For more information, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.
7:30 p.m. Dec. 1 – OWU Directing Class One-Acts. Produced and mentored by Brian Granger, assistant professor, the pieces will be performed in Chappelear Drama Center, 45 Rowland Ave., Delaware. Admission is free. For more information, call the box office at (740) 368-3855 or visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.
3 p.m. Dec. 3 – OWU student recital, in Jemison Auditorium inside Sanborn Hall, 23 Elizabeth St., Delaware. Admission is free. For more information, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.
7 p.m. Dec. 4 – Lessons & Carols concert, conducted by associate professor Jason Hiester, featuring sing-along Christmas carols and spiritual readings, in Gray Chapel inside University Hall, 61 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. Admission is free. For more information, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.
Feb. 16-17, 2024 – OWU Music Festival:
- 7 p.m. Feb. 16 – Festival Host Concert, conducted by professor Richard Edwards, in Gray Chapel inside University Hall, 61 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. Admission is free.
- 2 p.m. Feb. 17 – Festival Finale Concert, in Gray Chapel inside University Hall, 61 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. Admission is free. For more information about the festival, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.
3 p.m. March 31, 2024 – Ohio Wesleyan’s Choral Art Society and Chamber Choir, conducted by associate professor Jason Hiester, 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 9, 2024 – Ohio Wesleyan’s Chamber Orchestra, conducted by instructor Deborah Price, in Gray Chapel inside University Hall, 61 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. Admission is free. For more information, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.
7:30 p.m. April 11-13 and April 19-20, 2024 – Ohio Wesleyan’s spring theatrical production (title to be announced), on the Main Stage of Chappelear Drama Center, 45 Rowland Ave., Delaware. Admission is free, but seating is limited and reservations are requested. To reserve tickets, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts or call the box office at (740) 368-3855 beginning two weeks before the show debuts.
8 p.m. April 18, 2024 – Ohio Wesleyan’s Symphonic Wind Ensemble, conducted by professor Richard Edwards, 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 23, 2024 – Ohio Wesleyan’s Park Avenue Jazz Ensemble, conducted by instructor Kevin Turner, 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 26, 2024 – Terpsicorps 23/24 student dance concert, on the Main Stage in Chappelear Drama Center, 45 Rowland Ave., Delaware. Admission is free. Learn more at owu.edu/PerformingArts.
April 26-27, 2024 (time to be announced) – OWU senior theatre showcase, featuring performances and presentations by graduating senior theatre majors, in the Studio Theatre inside Chappelear Drama Center, 45 Rowland Ave. The performances may contain adult themes and content. Admission is free. Learn more at owu.edu/PerformingArts.
FINE ARTS EXHIBITIONS
Aug. 23-Dec. 15 – “More or Less,” featuring art created by Kim Faler, OWU Class of 2002, in Gallery 2001 in Ohio Wesleyan’s Beeghly Library, 43 Rowland Ave., Delaware. The exhibit brings together three bodies of work – Cull, Undone, and Wasting Time – by Faler, a sculptor and multimedia artist. The title “More or Less” alludes to the sense of touch and surface tension, as well as emotions that are hard to articulate. Faler’s work invites viewers to look closer at what is familiar and focuses deeply on the materials she uses. Notions of anxiety, ephemerality, and the slippery nature of memory permeate the art. Learn more at kimfaler.com. Gallery 2001, on the library’s first floor, is open during library hours. For times, visit library.owu.edu/hours. The gallery is a gift from the OWU Class of 2001 and a satellite of the Richard M. Ross Art Museum. Admission is free. Learn more at owu.edu/ross.
Sept. 5-Oct. 29 – “Personal to Political” and “Abstract Art from the Permanent Teaching Collection,” at Ohio Wesleyan’s Richard M. Ross Art Museum, 60 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. “Personal to Political,” a loaned exhibition from the Bedford Gallery at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, California, presents works by 17 artists who capture the personal narratives and political discourses of African Americans across the country. This exhibition of figurative and abstract prints explores history, identity, and spiritual inspiration. At the heart of the show is Paulson Fontaine Press, a fine arts printer, with a roster of internationally celebrated artists including Martin Puryear, Kerry James Marshall, and the Gee’s Bend Quilters. “Abstract Art” invites viewers to learn more about the background, movements, and artistic choices that make abstract art a vital component of the artistic landscape. It includes works by regional, national, and internationally recognized artists such as Willis Bing Davis, Jose Luis Cuevas, Dennison W. Griffith, Edmund Kuehn, Lee Krasner, Kim Lim, Robert Motherwell, and Frank Stella. 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. The Ross will be closed for mid-semester break from Oct. 11-13. The museum is handicap-accessible and admission is always free. Call (740) 368-3606 or visit owu.edu/ross for more information.
Nov. 14, 2023-March 24, 2024 – “Move: Mobility, Migration, and Belonging,” at Ohio Wesleyan’s Richard M. Ross Art Museum, 60 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. The exhibition of artwork from significant local and regional artists is curated to coincide with OWU’s first-year seminar, “How to Change Your World.” The course is structured annually around a pressing issue of immediate relevance to contemporary life. The Ross Art Museum’s companion exhibit showcases artistic practices that consider how water has affected movement and belonging across history, place, and species. 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. The Ross will be closed for Thanksgiving break from Nov. 20-24, for winter break from Dec. 17-Jan. 16, 2024; and for spring break from March 9-17. The museum is handicap-accessible and admission is always free. Call (740) 368-3606 or visit owu.edu/ross for more information.
April 14-May 11, 2024 – The annual Fine Arts graduating senior exhibit, with juried works by the OWU Class of 2024, and “Restore,” at the Richard M. Ross Art Museum, 60 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. “Restore” is an unveiling of 31 newly conserved masterworks in the museum’s permanent teaching collection. The artworks have been cleaned and restored by the ICA–Art Conservation (originally known as Intermuseum Conservation Association) in Cleveland through a 2021 Inspire! grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services. Learn about the restoration process and see work by artists who have contributed to major movements in Western art history such as Francisco Goya, Käthe Kollowitz, Jack Levine, Roy Lichtenstein, Joan Miro, Rene Magritte, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, and more. The exhibits will open with a public reception from 2-4 p.m. April 14. 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 9 p.m.; and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The Ross is handicap-accessible and admission is always free. Call (740) 368-3606 or visit owu.edu/ross for more information.
