Spring Things
Ohio Wesleyan Announces the University's March 2026 Public Events
DELAWARE, Ohio – Ohio Wesleyan University, including its Richard M. Ross Art Museum, announced its March 2026 public events today. Unless otherwise noted, admission is free.
7 p.m. March 1 – Ohio Wesleyan junior recital featuring Ben Katz, double bass, in Jemison Auditorium inside Sanborn Hall, 23 Elizabeth St., Delaware. Admission is free. For more information, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.
8 p.m. March 3 – Ohio Wesleyan music department recital, in Jemison Auditorium inside Sanborn Hall, 23 Elizabeth St., Delaware. Admission is free. For more information, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.
8 p.m. March 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.
4:15 p.m. March 18 – Lesley Wheeler, professor of English at Washington and Lee University, presents a poetry reading from her book, "Mycocosmic," in the Milligan Room of Slocum Hall, 75 S. Sandusky St., Delaware, Ohio. "Mycocosmic" uses the imagery of mushrooms that flourish after forest fires to explore personal and planetary loss and regrowth. Wheeler's previous poetry collections include "The State She's In," "Radioland," "The Receptionist and Other Tales," "Heterotopia," and "Heathen." She also has published the nonfiction book "Poetry's Possible Worlds" and the novel "Unbecoming." Her reading is part of the Department of English's Visiting Writers Series and the Richard M. Ross Art Museum's Art and the Environment Talk Series. It will be followed by a question-and-answer session and book signing. Admission is free. Learn more about the department at owu.edu/English.
7:30 p.m. March 18 – Shirley Paden-Bernstein, internationally recognized hand knitwear designer, presents "A Designer's Journey, in the Benes Rooms of Ohio Wesleyan's Hamilton-Williams Campus Center, 40 Rowland Ave., Delaware. A 1973 OWU graduate, Paden-Bernstein is the founder and owner of Shirley Paden Custom Knits and Shirley Paden Productions. She has appeared in leading American and European knitting magazines and been featured on HGTV and Knitting Daily TV. She also has been recognized on the British list of "Who's Who in North American Knitting," on the British list of BIPOC Design Icons, and as the headliner at the Danish Needlework Conference. In 2022, she embarked on a fantasy trilogy of knitting books accompanied by AR and VFX films, which propelled her to launch her production company. Learn more at https://shirleypaden.com. Her presentation is OWU's annual Heisler Business Ethics Lecture, sponsored by The Woltemade Center for Economics, Business and Entrepreneurship. Admission is free. Learn more at owu.edu/Woltemade.
9 a.m.-noon March 21 – Repair Café, sponsored by the Upcycling Center at Ohio Wesleyan University and Sustainable Delaware, Ohio (SDO), at the Unity Community Center, 50 Ross St., Delaware. During the event, volunteer repair experts will make all possible repairs free of charge. Anything that is broken is welcome. Learn more at https://sustainabledelawareohio.org/repair-cafe-delaware.
7 p.m. March 21 – Ohio Wesleyan junior recital featuring Ryuka Okada, piano, and Layn Mayfield, composition, in Jemison Auditorium inside Sanborn Hall, 23 Elizabeth St., Delaware. Admission is free. For more information, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.
4:30 p.m. March 25 – Jeffrey Ding, Ph.D., assistant professor of Political Science at George Washington University, presents "Technology and the Rise and Fall of Great Powers: Implications for the U.S.-China AI Race," in the Benes Rooms of Ohio Wesleyan's Hamilton-Williams Campus Center, 40 Rowland Ave., Delaware. After the lecture, Ji Young Choi, Ph.D., director of OWU's East Asian Studies Program and professor of Politics & Government, will moderate a question-and-answer session. Ding's research centers on emerging technologies and international politics, including how technological revolutions affect the rise and fall of great powers. His presentation is the 2025 John Kennard Eddy Memorial Lecture on World Politics, supported by the International Studies Program, East Asian Studies Program, and Department of Politics & Government. Admission is free. Learn more at owu.edu/Eddy.
3 p.m. March 29 – Ohio Wesleyan Choral Art Society and Chamber Choir concert, in Gray Chapel inside University Hall, 61 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. Admission is free. For more information, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.
7 p.m. March 29 – Ohio Wesleyan senior recital featuring Mathias "Chewy" Koo, violin, in Jemison Auditorium inside Sanborn Hall, 23 Elizabeth St., Delaware. Admission is free. For more information, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.
7 p.m. March 31 – Ric Sheffield, professor emeritus of Legal Studies and Sociology at Kenyon College, presents "Whistling Dixie: Ohio's History of Resistance to the Black Vote," in the Benes Rooms of Ohio Wesleyan's Hamilton-Williams Campus Center, 40 Rowland Ave., Delaware. Sheffield's latest book is "False Promises: The Struggle for Black Voting Rights in 1800s Ohio." It presents narratives about men of color who went to the polls and were denied the right to vote, even after the ratification of the 14th and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Learn more at www.ricsheffield.com. Sheffield's presentation is OWU's annual Joseph and Edith Vogel Lecture, made possible through an endowment from their son, Ezra Vogel, Ph.D., now deceased. Ezra Vogel was a 1950 Ohio Wesleyan graduate and retired professor of East Asian Studies at Harvard University. The lecture is organized by the OWU Department of History. Learn more at owu.edu/history.
8 p.m. March 31 – Ohio Wesleyan Chamber Orchestra concert, in Gray Chapel inside University Hall, 61 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. Admission is free. For more information, visit owu.edu/PerformingArts.
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.
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 features artists, activists, and scholars and their efforts to confront and improve the world around them.
- 6:30 p.m. March 3 – Jarod Anderson presents "Strange Naturalist." Anderson is a nature writer, podcaster, and poet who has just published his fifth book, "Strange Animals," which is his fiction debut. His work revolves around a deep appreciation for the natural world, mental health, and the healing power of nature.
- 6:30 p.m. March 17 – Emma Kline presents "Living Art and Cross-Disciplinary Work." Kline is the lab specialist for the Living Art and Ecology Lab (LAEL) at The Ohio State University. The LAEL creates a space that fosters cross-disciplinary collaborations and invites students to engage with their local environment through artistic practices.
- 6:30 p.m. March 24 – Amy Youngs presents "Art, Technology, and the Natural World." Youngs' work is a blend of eco art, interactive sculptures, digital media, and technology into installation and interactive pieces. Youngs works as an artist and professor at Ohio State, teaching both art and science and the confluence of the two.
Children and Family Events
- 1-4 p.m. March 1 – Community Mending Circle. Patch holes, hem pants, and generally rework clothes during this event. Sewing, crocheting, knitting, and more are welcome. Bring your own project or learn the basics on provided scrap fabric.
- 6-8 p.m. March 6 – Main Street Delaware's "March for Art" First Friday. This annual event creates a pop-up show throughout the historic downtown, featuring creations by Delaware City Schools students and other artists and craftspeople. The museum will display art by Delaware City Schools ninth- through 12th-graders.
- 2-4 p.m. March 22 – Community Native Seed-Bomb Making. Everyone is welcome to make a seed-bomb of native plants during this two-hour workshop.
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 7-16 for spring break. It is handicap-accessible, and admission is always free. Call (740) 368-3606 or visit owu.edu/Ross or 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.