Ohio Wesleyan Showcases Talent of University’s Fine Arts Faculty
Ohio Wesleyan’s Ross Art Museum will display works by OWU fine arts faculty members through Feb. 5. The seven artists will be on hand to discuss their creations at a reception Dec. 8. (Photo by Cole Hatcher)
DELAWARE, OHIO – Seven members of Ohio Wesleyan University’s fine arts faculty are sending “Mixed Messages” in a multimedia exhibit on display through Feb. 5 in the university’s Richard M. Ross Art Museum, 60 S. Sandusky St.
Faculty art exhibits are held every two years to showcase the latest works by Ohio Wesleyan professors, who also are accomplished studio artists. An artists’ reception will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 8 at the museum with all of the faculty members on hand to discuss their creations. The event is free and open to the public.
OWU faculty members participating in the “Mixed Messages” exhibit are:
Kristina Bogdanov, Ph.D., who teaches ceramics, drawing, figure drawing and 3-D design. “My latest body of work reflects the idea of a home as a place of residence or refuge or identity,” Bogdanov said. “Home may be perceived to have no physical location—instead, home may relate instead to a mental or emotional state of refuge or comfort. … The preciousness and fragility of home throughout the history of both wars and peace, social expectations in building a home, the human need for home are just some of the layers I am thinking about as well as the choice of the materials. The spirit of home is what I am after whether I use tactile or decorated surface.” Cynthia Cetlin, M.F.A., who teaches metals, 3-D design, art education, and art history. Her current work features small sculptures of wool and silk. “The material resulting from the mingling of wool fiber has such interesting qualities: renewable, yielding, protective, muffling, water-resistant, absorbent, warming, sturdy,” Cetlin said. “My objects of handmade felt are like living forms, inspired both by plant life and historical craft traditions. ‘Piano’ is made of industrial felt, but the silk fibers are like tiny organisms that surround and cling to it, like barnacles on rock.” Frank Hobbs, M.F.A., who teaches painting, drawing, figure drawing and 2-D design. “My work begins with what lies immediately at hand, having learned over many years of painting that no fantasy can match the strangeness and complexity of the familiar,” Hobbs said. “My curiosities often lead me into spaces and environments that most people would not regard as proper subjects for landscapes. Marcel Proust said, ‘The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.’ The commonest environment is full of doorways into magnificence. Seeing is, for me, the first and most engaging problem of painting.” James Krehbiel, M.F.A., who teaches in the 2-D media of printmaking, computer imaging, and drawing. Krehbiel’s pieces represent aspects of his discovery and study of prehistoric sites in the Four Corners region of the United States. “My archaeology and archaeoastronomy research in the American Southwest has been the impetus for the work in this exhibition. … I am working with archaeologists, astrophysicists, astronomers, geologists and Hopi Indians to unravel the mysteries at these 850- to 1,600-year-old [ceremonial kiva] sites. All of the pieces in this exhibition are direct responses to my archaeoastronomical studies in the field. Each piece is created to become a narrative about what was discovered at a particular place.” Justin Kronewetter, M.F.A., director of the Ross Art Museum, who teaches art gallery management. Kronewetter’s digital photographs often provide uncommon views of common subjects. “Recently I heard a radio commercial in which it was stated that ‘life is a treasure hunt, but you have to know where to look to find the treasure.’ In the end I believe this to be particularly true of my life as a photographic artist. I’ve spent countless hours searching for and attempting to produce ‘visual treasure.’ ” Jeff Nilan, M.F.A., who teaches photography, computer imaging, bookmaking, and 2-D design. Nilan’s pieces include photographs as well as cyanotypes printed with litho-crayon rubbings as negatives. “The rubbings are derived from out-buildings, hay bales and various small structures found on my relative’s farms in Cass County, Iowa, a rural farm community in decline. … For me, standing in the presence of these small structures is enough to evoke the religion, stoicism, beauty, and sadness of a rural society made anemic and confused by how it fits into our contemporary consumer culture.” Jonathon Quick, M.F.A., who teaches sculpture and 3-D design. “My studio practice is focused upon industrial materials and methods,” Quick said. “My main concentration and the focus of my research over the years have been iron and bronze foundry casting and direct fabrication of metals. My work results from confronting these industrial processes and exploring their potential for expression. … Initially, one sees humor in the content of my work, but there also is the darker side, and concerns with the spiritual and subconscious realms of the human psyche.”The Ross Art Museum 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. It will be closed from Dec. 17 through Jan. 16 for holiday break. The museum is fully handicap-accessible and admission is always free. Call (740) 368-3603 for more information.
“Mixed Messages” Faculty Art Exhibition. (Photo by Cole Hatcher)“Mixed Messages” Faculty Art Exhibition. (Photo by Cole Hatcher)“Mixed Messages” Faculty Art Exhibition. (Photo by Cole Hatcher)“Mixed Messages” Faculty Art Exhibition. (Photo by Cole Hatcher)“Mixed Messages” Faculty Art Exhibition. (Photo by Cole Hatcher)“Mixed Messages” Faculty Art Exhibition. (Photo by Cole Hatcher)“Mixed Messages” Faculty Art Exhibition. (Photo by Cole Hatcher)“Mixed Messages” Faculty Art Exhibition. (Photo by Cole Hatcher)“Mixed Messages” Faculty Art Exhibition. (Photo by Cole Hatcher)“Mixed Messages” Faculty Art Exhibition. (Photo by Cole Hatcher)“Mixed Messages” Faculty Art Exhibition. (Photo by Cole Hatcher)“Mixed Messages” Faculty Art Exhibition. (Photo by Cole Hatcher)Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier small, private universities, with more than 90 undergraduate majors, sequences, and courses of study, and 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Located in Delaware, Ohio, just minutes north of Ohio’s capital and largest city, Columbus, the university combines a globally focused curriculum with off-campus learning and leadership opportunities that translate classroom theory into real-world practice. OWU’s close-knit community of 1,850 students represents 47 states and 57 countries. Ohio Wesleyan was named to the 2010 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with distinction, is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” and is included on the “best colleges” lists of U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. Learn more at www.owu.edu.