Look and Learn
Ross Art Museum's New Exhibits to Feature Ohio Wesleyan Professors, Photographer Ardine Nelson
DELAWARE, Ohio – Ohio Wesleyan University's Richard M. Ross Art Museum will continue its yearlong exploration of "Communication, Surveillance & Democracy" with three new exhibits opening Oct. 13 at the venue, 60 S. Sandusky St., Delaware.
In "City Center Mall," photographer Ardine Nelson explores the limits of capitalism and consumer culture through images of Columbus's short-lived City Center Mall, which operated from 1989 to 2009 before being demolished. Intended to revitalize the downtown urban core, the mall faced challenges almost from the outset. Nelson, MFA, is a retired photography professor from The Ohio State University.
In "Fragment," Ohio Wesleyan's Fine Arts studio faculty create what colleague and art historian Camilla Querin, Ph.D., describes as "a visual reflection on the scattering of information, the polarization of opinion, the fraying of the social fabric, the erosion of trust, and the fracture of individual and collective identities." Professors participating in the biennial faculty exhibit are:
Kristina Bogdanov, MFA, whose ceramic pieces "speak to the precariousness and fragility of the world order," Querin states. "Centering women's experience and their grounding power, they point to the necessity of balance, care, and equity within an unstable and unjust world."
Frank Hobbs, MFA, whose drawings depict the expressions of rioters captured during the presidential campaigns of 2016 and 2024 and the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol. As Querin shares, the "faces (are) contorted by blind hatred that corrodes the individual before erupting into collective violence."
Jeff Nilan, MFA, whose "paper weavings piece together shreds of waiters' order pads from the only diner in a small Iowa town, the artery of its social life," Querin shares. "The meticulous weaving is less an attempt to reconstruct intelligible information, and the lives contained within it, than a meditation on connection, interdependence, and the need to create and sustain safety nets."
Finally, "A More Perfect Union" draws from the Ross' more than 3,000-piece permanent collection and beyond to examine efforts to live up to U.S. aspirations and ideals. The exhibit will include 82 artworks, including permanent collection works by Donna Ferrato, Jack Levine, Berenice Abbott, and Ben Shahn, as well as pieces borrowed from syndicated cartoonist Jeff Stahler, poet and photographer Marcus Jackson, collaborative photographers Marni Shindelman and Nate Larson, combined with a playlist curated by Patrick Bailey, owner of Delaware's Endangered Species record store.
Christopher Yates, director of the Ross, said the three new exhibits expand learning opportunities for Ohio Wesleyan students while providing museum-goers with exceptional art.
"We are at a crossroads – unsure of how the difficulties and uncertainties surrounding issues of "Communication, Surveillance & Democracy" will unfold over time," said Yates, MFA. "Our goal is to offer a forum for contemplating the complexities of living in a time of unprecedented change. In times of uncertainty, artists have a unique ability to help us see the world differently and imagine a path forward."
The "City Center" and "Fragment" exhibits run through Dec. 18, while "A More Perfect Union" will be on display through April 4, 2027. The Ross will host a free opening reception for the exhibits from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 15 and will welcome photographer Nelson for an Artist Talk from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Oct. 22.
During the academic year, the Richard M. Ross Art Museum 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 will be closed from Nov. 21-30 and from Dec. 20-Jan. 12, 2027. The Ross is open to all, handicap-accessible, and admission is always free. Call (740) 368-3606 or visit owu.edu/Ross or www.facebook.com/RossArtMuseum for more information.
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.