Ohio Wesleyan’s Ross Art Museum Opens New Exhibits Feb. 9
Walter Zurko, David Jansheski Among Accomplished Artists Represented
DELAWARE, Ohio – From Walter Zurko’s nature-inspired sculptures, to David Jansheski’s colorful prints, to premiere pieces from its permanent collection, Ohio Wesleyan University’s Richard M. Ross Art Museum will be bursting at the seams with eye-catching art when it debuts its newest exhibits Feb. 9.
One of the highlights is Zurko’s “Looking Down to Look Up,” an exhibit of sculptures created using wood-derived products such as plywood and cardboard and carved with power tools. An art professor at The College of Wooster, Zurko will present a gallery talk and tour of his creations at 4:10 p.m. Feb. 11 at the museum. His free presentation will be followed by a community reception from 4:45 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Zurko’s works were inspired by Chinese scholars’ rocks – ornamental rocks chosen by ancient intellectuals as a source of contemplation. The rocks, he explains in his artist’s statement, encourage viewers to “look up and see the big picture – nature.” Learn more about Zurko and his art at http://walterzurko.com.
Another highlight is the concurrent showing of Jansheski’s “Art of the Print,” featuring screen, linoleum, and woodblock prints and artist books donated to the museum by the David Jansheski Foundation following Jansheski’s death in 2014. In addition to the Feb. 11 reception for all exhibits, the museum will host a special memorial reception in honor of Jansheski from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. March 19. Remarks celebrating the Cleveland artist’s life and contributions will begin at 3 p.m.
Visitors to the Ross Art Museum also will experience “New on View,” a collection of never-before-exhibited pieces from the museum’s permanent collection. The exhibit features several items acquired over the past few months and includes influential American photographers Ralph Gibson, Mark Klett, and Edward Weston; sculptor Luis Jimenez; painter/printmaker Frank Stella; and Mexican photographer Graciela Iturbide.
Also culled from the museum’s permanent collection is a separate display of photographic portraits of internationally known artists, including pop artist Andy Warhol, painter and printmaker Jasper Johns, photorealist Chuck Close, and iconic photographer Alfred Stieglitz.
Justin Kronewetter, director of OWU’s Ross Art Museum, said he is pleased to offer such diverse displays of artwork to excite, inform, and inspire museum guests.
“Walter Zurko typically works with readily available, less-expensive materials, and uses them to make outstanding artwork,” Kronewetter said. “David Jansheski, during his lifetime, created bold and beautiful prints that expertly illustrate a wide range of printmaking techniques. For a museum with an educational mission, it’s exciting to be able to provide such meaningful works for our guests.”
Kronewetter said pieces from the museum’s ever-expanding permanent collection round out the visitor experience by providing additional types of art from talented artists. Kronewetter said he is especially pleased to exhibit Jimenez and Iturbide as he seeks to enhance the diversity of artists represented in the permanent collection.
“Our collection leans toward 19th- and 20th-century male artists,” Kronewetter said, “but we’ve been working diligently to add diversity. I’m pleased by our ongoing success in acquiring more pieces by women, African American, Hispanic, Native American, and Mexican artists. The Ohio Wesleyan campus – and central Ohio region – is so diverse, and we want our visitors to be able to make connections with artists and cultures important to them.”
All of the exhibits will be on display from Feb. 9 through March 27. During the academic year, 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 March 5-14 for spring break. The museum is handicap-accessible, and admission is always free. Call (740) 368-3606 or visit http://owu.edu/ross or https://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 87 undergraduate majors and competes in 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Ohio Wesleyan combines a challenging, internationally focused curriculum with off-campus learning and leadership opportunities to connect classroom theory with real-world experience. OWU’s 1,675 students represent 43 U.S. states and territories and 33 countries. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” listed on the latest President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction, and included in the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review “best colleges” lists. Learn more at www.owu.edu.