Press Release

December 15, 2022 | By Cole Hatcher

Ohio Wesleyan’s January calendar of public events includes two events to commemorate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., two concurrent art exhibit openings, and a free piano concert. (Photo by Allie Sanzenbacher)

New Start

Ohio Wesleyan University Announces January 2023 Calendar of Public Events

DELAWARE, Ohio – Ohio Wesleyan University today announced its January 2023 lineup of public events. Unless otherwise noted, admission is free.

2023 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration

  • 2 p.m. Jan. 15 – An online-only panel discussion on the topic “From Civil Rights to Wakanda: An Exploration of Blackness & Media.” The free virtual event will include panelists Phokeng Dailey, Ph.D., OWU assistant professor of communication; OWU student Saharla Loyan of Westerville; Jason Timpson, OWU’s director of Multicultural Student Affairs; and Tamika Vinson-Reid, co-chair of the Delaware African American Heritage Council. Dawn Chisebe, OWU’s chief diversity officer, will moderate the discussion. For more information or to watch the online event, visit owu.edu/MLK.
  • 8:30 a.m. Jan. 16 – The 30th annual MLK Breakfast Celebration, in the Benes Rooms of Ohio Wesleyan’s Hamilton-Williams Campus Center, 40 Rowland Ave., Delaware. Doors open and breakfast begins at 7:45 a.m. for the ticketed event. The formal program begins at 8:30 a.m. and concludes at 9:30 a.m. Nick Bankston, chief executive officer of Gladden Community House and Columbus City Council member, is the keynote speaker. Urban Strings Columbus will perform. Individual breakfast tickets are $25 and event sponsorships are $240 for a table of eight ($30 each in recognition of the event’s 30th anniversary). Proceeds support the Delaware County MLK Scholarship Program. Tickets may be purchased until Jan. 9 by visiting https://bit.ly/30thAnnualMLK or by mailing a check to the MLK Celebration Committee in care of the Ohio Wesleyan Chaplain’s Office / MLK Celebration, 40 Rowland Ave., Delaware, OH 43015. For more information, visit owu.edu/MLK.

Jan. 22-March 26 – “Ohio Imprint: Dick Arentz & Brian Harnetty,” part of the Richard M. Ross Art Museum’s new Artists in the Archive series, with contemporary artists invited to bring their work into conversation with selections from the museum’s permanent teaching collection, in the West Gallery of the museum, 60 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. For this exhibit, interdisciplinary artist Harnetty responds to a series of prints by photographer Arentz from the museum’s holdings. Arentz’s platinum and palladium prints of Ohio focus on farms, factories, water towers, and other human-made structures that shape the natural world. Harnetty revisits these sites and creates sound collages and videos that reflect on themes of place, labor, history, the archive, and the ecological imprint of humans. The exhibit will open with a public reception from 2-4 p.m. Jan. 22, 2023. Learn more at www.brianharnetty.com. 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 for spring break from March 11-20, 2023. The Ross is handicap-accessible and admission is always free. Call (740) 368-3606 or visit owu.edu/ross for more information.

Jan. 22-March 26 – “Black Palimpsest: Jared Thorne,” part of the Richard M. Ross Art Museum’s new Artists in the Archive series, with contemporary artists invited to bring their work into conversation with selections from the museum’s permanent teaching collection, in the Kuhlman Gallery of the museum, 60 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. In this exhibit, Thorne’s multimedia artworks bring a critical lens to a series of masks from the museum’s African Art holdings. Thorne’s project approaches these masks as palimpsests–objects where the original context has been effaced and overlaid with new understandings but aspects of the original are still visible. The exhibit explores the cultural comodification of African art objects in Western museums while asking how these same objects signify history, identity, and authenticity for many African Americans. The exhibit will open with a public reception from 2-4 p.m. Jan. 22, 2023. Learn more at jaredthorne.com. 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 for spring break from March 11-20, 2023. The Ross is handicap-accessible and admission is always free. Call (740) 368-3606 or visit owu.edu/ross for more information.

3 p.m. Jan. 29 – OWU faculty recital featuring associate professor Frank Chiou, piano, in Jemison Auditorium inside Sanborn Hall, 23 Elizabeth 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 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.