Press Release

September 15, 2021 | By Cole Hatcher

Ohio Wesleyan University is announcing its October calendar of public events, including its Oct. 1-2 Homecoming Celebration. Guests are welcome at OWU events but need to wear facial coverings in all indoor spaces on campus. (Photo by Mark Schmitter ’12)

A Happening Harvest

Ohio Wesleyan University Announces October 2021 Public Events

DELAWARE, Ohio – Ohio Wesleyan University today announced its October 2021 lineup of public events. Unless otherwise noted, admission is free.

All guests to the university must wear facial coverings when indoors, regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status, and follow any other public health recommendations from the Delaware Public Health District and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For more information, visit owu.edu/COVID-19.

Now through Oct. 24 – “Baltimore Lives,” featuring images by nationally recognized photographer and 1974 Ohio Wesleyan graduate John Clark Mayden, is on exhibition in the West and Mayhew galleries of the Richard M. Ross Art Museum, 60 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. Mayden published his award-winning book “Baltimore Lives: The Portraits of John Clark Mayden” in 2019. It is a collection of 101 photographs documenting Black Baltimore residents between 1970 and 2012. Mayden’s photos also are featured in the 2020 HBO film “Between the World and Me,” based on the book by Ta-Nehisi Coates. 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 museum will be closed Oct. 13-17 for mid-semester break. The Ross is handicap-accessible and admission is always free. Call (740) 368-3606 or visit owu.edu/ross for more information.

Now through Nov. 12 – “Women Behind the Lens,” featuring works by 26 women photographers and celebrating arts patron Sally Ross Soter, is on exhibition in the Kuhlman Galleries of the Richard M. Ross Art Museum, 60 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. A sister exhibition is being held in the Ross Gallery of the Columbus Museum of Art (CMA). The OWU images are culled from the university’s permanent collection. 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 museum will be closed Oct. 13-17 for mid-semester break. The Ross is handicap-accessible and admission is always free. Call (740) 368-3606 or visit owu.edu/ross for more information.

Now through Dec. 13 – “From Our Collection: Covers for a Small Library,” featuring works by R.B. Kitaj, is on exhibition in Gallery 2001 inside Beeghly Library, 43 Rowland Ave., Delaware. Born in suburban Cleveland, Ohio, Kitaj is described as a key figure in European and American contemporary painting whose “highly personal paintings and drawings reflect his deep interest in history; cultural, social and political ideologies; and issues of identity.” He died in 2007. Gallery 2001, located on the library’s first floor, is open during library hours, available at library.owu.edu/hours. The gallery is a gift from the Class of 2001 and a satellite of the Richard M. Ross Art Museum. Admission is free. Learn more at owu.edu/ross.

Oct. 1-2OWU’s 2021 Homecoming Celebration will include the following public events. (Safety first: All homecoming guests are encouraged to be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus or to receive negative test results within 72 hours of arriving on campus.)

Friday, Oct. 1

4 p.m. – Dedication of Bradford Milligan Hall. This is Ohio Wesleyan's first on-campus student apartment complex, named in recognition of OWU alumni Kathryn Bradford Milligan and John F. Milligan, both Class of 1983, and the generations of Bradford and Milligan family legacies at Ohio Wesleyan. The dedication will be held outside the building, 68 S. Liberty St., Delaware. The event is free. Learn more about the building and OWU residential life at owu.edu/ResLife.

6:30-8:30 p.m. – BishopFest. Join Bishops and friends for an all-community celebration that includes music, food stations, and more. BishopFest will be held on the JAYwalk in front of Hamilton-Williams Campus Center, 40 Rowland Ave. Delaware. Tickets are $10 per person and may be ordered with event registration at owu.edu/homecoming.

Saturday, Oct. 2

9:30 a.m.-noon – “W” Association Ceremony. This event will honor all 2020 and 2021 Hall of Fame Inductees and Teams of Distinction. The Robert Strimer Honor Award and The George Gauthier Award also will be presented. The ceremony will be held outdoors in a tent beside the R.W. Corns Building, 78 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. The event is free, but registration is required at owu.edu/homecoming.

11 a.m. – Dedication of the “Back Porch” outdoor sculpture. Andrew Wilson, OWU Class of 2013, created this 14-foot high, 8-foot wide, and 8-foot deep metal artwork during his tenure as Ohio Wesleyan’s first artist-in-residence. The permanent installation honors generations of OWU Black lives and legacies. The dedication will be held at the sculpture, situated on Merrick Lawn behind University Hall, 61 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. The event is free. Learn more at owu.edu/BackPorch.

Noon-12:15 p.m. – Parade of Bishops. Show your Ohio Wesleyan pride and join the walking parade from the JAYwalk fountain to Selby Stadium, led by the football team, OWU Marching Bishops, and the Battling Bishop himself. The fountain is located in front of Hamilton-Williams Campus Center, 40 Rowland Ave., Delaware. The event is free. Learn more at owu.edu/homecoming.

Noon-2 p.m. – Battling Bishops tailgate. Enjoy lunch as you get fired up for the OWU vs. Wittenberg Tigers football game. Food trucks will have items for purchase outside Selby Stadium, 45 S. Henry St., Delaware. Learn more at owu.edu/homecoming.

1-2:15 p.m. – OWU volleyball vs. Oberlin Yeowomen, in Branch Rickey Arena, 105 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. Admission is free. Learn more at BattlingBishops.com.

1-2:15 p.m. – OWU women’s soccer vs. Oberlin Yeowomen at Jay Martin Soccer Complex, 249 Park Ave., Delaware. Admission is adults $5 and students and senior citizens $3. OWU students with a valid university ID and children 12 and under are admitted free. Learn more at BattlingBishops.com.

2-4 p.m. – OWU football vs. Wittenberg Tigers, at Selby Stadium, 45 S. Henry St., Delaware. Halftime recognition includes Hall of Fame inductees and recipients of Team of Distinction Awards. Admission is adults $5 and students and senior citizens $3. OWU students with a valid university ID and children 12 and under are admitted free. Learn more at BattlingBishops.com.

7-8:30 p.m. – OWU men’s soccer vs. Oberlin Yeomen, at Jay Martin Soccer Complex, 249 Park Ave., Delaware. Admission is adults $5 and students and senior citizens $3. OWU students with a valid university ID and children 12 and under are admitted free. Learn more at BattlingBishops.com.

8 p.m. Oct. 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29 – Ohio Wesleyan’s Perkins Observatory, 3199 Columbus Pike (U.S. 23), Delaware, hosts Friday night skywatches. 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 and $12 at the door. Reserve tickets by calling (740) 363-1257. Learn more at owu.edu/perkins.

8 p.m. Oct. 7-8; 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Oct. 9 – “Daughters of Leda” by Madeline Sayet. As the seasons change and Persephone returns to the underworld, a mortal girl arrives asking questions that turn history upside down. The Fates have a game up their sleeve – they are tired and need a vacation. But in order to leave, they have to give back the stories they exploited. In a whirlwind of events, Adam & Eve, Leda & the Swan, Helen, Clytemnestra, Iphigenia, and Electra all come together to choose their own destinies and tell their side of the stories that have instilled fear of feminine knowledge for far too long. “Daughters of Leda” will be conducted by faculty member Cortney Knipp and performed on the Main Stage of Ohio Wesleyan’s Chappelear Drama Center, 45 Rowland Ave., Delaware. Tickets are $10 for general admission and $5 for senior citizens, Ohio Wesleyan employees, and non-OWU students. Admission is free for Ohio Wesleyan students with a valid university ID. To reserve tickets, call the box office at (740) 368-3855. For more information, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.

8 p.m. Oct. 22-23 – “Flowers for Algernon,” a fall senior project production by Catie Hyatt, performed in the Studio Theatre inside Chappelear Drama Center, 45 Rowland Ave., Delaware. Admission is free, but reservations are required as seating is limited. To reserve seating, call the box office at (740) 368-3855. For more information, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.

4:10 p.m. Oct. 27 – Mark Allison, Ph.D., Ohio Wesleyan associate professor of English, discusses “Karl Marx’s English Utopia,” in the Bayley Room inside Beeghly Library, 43 Rowland Ave., Delaware. A member of the OWU faculty since 2007, Allison specializes in the literature and culture of 19th-century Britain. His research interests include utopian literature and theory; socialism, working-class political culture, and Marxism; and the British novel. His recently published book, “Imagining Socialism: Aesthetics, Anti-politics, and Literature in Britain, 1817-1918,” explores the intersections of socialism and literature in the long 19th century, with special emphasis on their shared antipathy to institutional politics. His presentation is the 2021-2022 Benjamin T. Spencer Lecture sponsored by the OWU Department of English. Learn more at owu.edu/English.

8 p.m. Oct. 29-30 – Untitled senior project production by Jasmine Lew, performed in multiple locations throughout Chappelear Drama Center, 45 Rowland Ave., Delaware. Admission is free, but reservations are required as seating is limited. To reserve seating, call the box office at (740) 368-3855. For more information, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.

3 p.m. Oct. 31 – Ohio Wesleyan’s Symphonic Wind Ensemble, conducted by faculty member Richard Edwards, performs in Gray Chapel inside University Hall, 61 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. Admission is free. For more information, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.

All Ohio Wesleyan public event information is subject to change. For the latest updates, visit owu.edu/calendar or “like” www.facebook.com/OhioWesleyanUniversityNews. For 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 program, The OWU Connection, Ohio Wesleyan teaches students to integrate knowledge across disciplines, build a diverse and global perspective, and apply knowledge in real-world settings. 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. Learn more at owu.edu.