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Ohio Wesleyan Announces the University's February 2026 Public Events

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

8 p.m. Feb. 3 - Ohio Wesleyan senior recital featuring Emma Foster, cello, in Jemison Auditorium inside Sanborn Hall, 23 Elizabeth St., Delaware. Admission is free. For more information, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.

8 p.m. Feb. 6, 13, 20, and 27 - 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 p.m. Feb. 8 - Ohio Wesleyan guest recital featuring Alexander Goldberg, violin, and Mariko Kaneda, piano, in Jemison Auditorium in Sanborn Hall, 23 Elizabeth St., Delaware. The performance will take listeners on "a journey of musical transformation, exploring how four great composers engaged with the sounds of the past and the spirit of folk tradition." Admission is free. For more information, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.

8 p.m. Feb. 12 - Ohio Wesleyan guest recital featuring Dwight Parry, oboe, in Jemison Auditorium inside Sanborn Hall, 23 Elizabeth St., Delaware. Admission is free. For more information, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.

Feb. 13-14 - Ohio Wesleyan Honor Band Music Festival

• 7 p.m. Feb. 13 - Honor Band Festival Host Concert, with the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, in Gray Chapel inside University Hall, 61 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. Admission is free. For more information, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.
• 2 p.m. Feb. 14 - Honor Band Festival Grand Finale Concert, with the R&B, Bishop, and Senior Bands, in Gray Chapel inside University Hall, 61 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. Admission is free. For more information, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.

Noon Feb. 14 - Bishop Backers Winter Community Day and Delaware Expo 2026

This annual event features an OWU women's and men's basketball doubleheader vs. The College of Wooster and an expo of area nonprofit organizations and businesses. Admission is free with a canned food donation to benefit the Delaware County Hunger Alliance. The basketball games will tip off at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively, and the expo will be held from noon to 3 p.m. All events will be held in Branch Rickey Arena and Gordon Field House, 105 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. The expo will include opportunities to:

• Enjoy children's activities provided by the Delaware Community Center YMCA.
• Learn from Delaware EMTs how to perform CPR and use automated external defibrillators (AEDs).
• Meet Delaware Police Officers and Firefighters, and explore the inflatable fire safety house.
• Win a big-screen TV in a free raffle drawing courtesy of First Commonwealth Bank.

Parking is free and available in all OWU campus lots. Learn more or register for an expo exhibitor's table before Jan. 31 at owu.edu/BishopBackers.

3 p.m. Feb. 15 - Ohio Wesleyan voice recital featuring faculty member Sarah Welker, in Jemison Auditorium in Sanborn Hall, 23 Elizabeth St., Delaware. Admission is free. For more information, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.

2 p.m. Feb. 26 - Pitch OWU and the Big Problem Challenge entrepreneurship competitions, in Room 301 of Merrick Hall, 65 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. Both "Shark Tank"-style events will feature Ohio Wesleyan students competing for start-up funds before a panel of expert judges. Pitch OWU invites students to present their most innovative business ideas, while the Big Problem Challenge asks them to find possible solutions to real-world issues. This year's issue is the continued population growth in Delaware County, potentially addressing the cost of living, taxes, traffic, electricity demand, and water usage. Both competitions are sponsored by The Woltemade Center for Economics, Business and Entrepreneurship. The back-to-back competitions will take place at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. during Ohio Wesleyan's spring OWU Connection Conference. Admission is free. Learn more at owu.edu/Woltemade.

3:30-5:30 p.m. Feb. 28 - Dialogue for Democracy, in the Benes Rooms inside Hamilton-Williams Campus Center, 40 Rowland Ave., Delaware. This event will focus on small-group discussions to identify priorities for Project 2029 and then brainstorm solutions to share with state and federal lawmakers. Future events are expected to focus on specific areas of concern. The Feb. 28 event will conclude with a "What Matters to Me" postcard-writing opportunity. This event is organized by the Arneson Institute for Practical Politics and Public Affairs. Learn more about the institute at owu.edu/Arneson.

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 that feature artists reacting to "humanity's impact on our planet," says Christopher Yates, museum director. Please note: All will be on exhibit through March 29.

Continuing through March 29

• "The Water Holds Me" by Suda House. 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.
• "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.
• "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. Feb. 10 - John Sabraw presents "Toxic Colors." Sabraw is an artist, activist, and professor at Ohio University. His work marries environmental cleanups, chemistry, and art into a cohesive whole. He uses the iron oxide in mine runoff to make paint pigments. He recently collaborated with Gamblin oil paints to make the "Reclaimed Earth Colors" paint set.
• 6:30 p.m. Feb. 24 - Laura Ann Bergman presents "Regenerative Farming and Social Justice." Bergman has spent her whole life growing food in Ohio and has been the farm liaison for Seminary Hill Farm since 2022. The farm is part of Methodist Theological School in Ohio, which works in pursuit of a just, sustainable, and generative world.

Children and Family Events

• 2-3 p.m. Feb. 15 - Enjoy making Valentine's Day cards for the special people in your life. This free craft is open to all ages.

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. The museum is closed Saturdays and Mondays, and it will be closed March 8-15 for spring break. It 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.

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.