About the Sculpture Walk
The Owens Community College Sculpture Walk launched in the summer of 2026. This space aims to play a critical role in building a stronger campus culture, fostering a sense of belonging and serving as a source of inspiration for various courses and programs. By integrating art in an outdoor space, this project addresses the need for accessible and engaging spaces that reflect the College’s commitment to creativity, inclusivity and academic excellence.
The Sculpture Walk is a rotating outdoor art exhibition that showcases new sculptures each year by artists from within a 50-mile radius of Owens Community College. Throughout the year, we will host activities to engage the Owens community, and we invite you to join us!
This project would not have been possible without the financial support of a grant from the Ohio Arts Council and the Owens Foundation. Thank you to all who made this sculpture walk possible, especially to the committee members Michael Sander, Robin Ballmer, David Halsey, Kevin Schroeder, Nathan Mattimoe and Shelby Stoots.
See the artwork and artists’ biographies below.
Sculpture Walk Location
The Sculpture Walk is located on the Owens Community College Campus between the Center for Fine and Performing Arts (CFPA) Building and the Healthcare Education Center.
Visit anytime for a self-guided preview before the celebration, or explore the sculpture photos and artist bios on this page. Check back throughout the year for Sculpture Walk events and engagement activities.
2026 Selected Artists
Thomas Lingeman
Landmarker 17, Steel and Cast Bronze, $10,000
Tom Lingeman works primarily in cast bronze and welded steel. He also uses drawing and painting as a means of designing and planning sculpture and as an end in itself. Born in Beech Grove, Indiana, Professor Lingeman received his Bachelor of Science degree in art education from Ball State University in 1973 and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in 1979. He joined the faculty of The University of Toledo to teach sculpture at the Toledo Museum of Art in 1979 and continues today as a sculptor and professor emeritus of art at The University of Toledo. Mr. Lingeman’s work can be found in many public and private collections, including “Every Generation” at the Lucas County Juvenile Justice Center; “A Collection of Forces” at The University of Findlay; and “Time Traveler,” a memorial to the late Milford Romanoff at the University of Toledo. Tom has exhibited and lectured numerous times at the Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow, Scotland. He has shown his work at La Camara de Comercio in Toledo, Spain. He has conducted workshops for Honduran artists and exhibited with them at Centro de Arte y Cultura de la Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Honduras, Tegucigalpa, Honduras, as well as the Veszprem County Art Association, Balatonalmadi, Hungary.
Mike Sohikian
Harp, A36 Steel, $15,000
Mike Sohikian, of Genoa, Ohio, is a retired ironworker. His distinguished 50-year career as a structural iron worker earned him the nickname “Iron Mike” for his legendary capabilities in the field. As a full-time sculptor, he still approaches his artwork as an ironworker but advances with the artful eye of a fine artist. Both skill sets intersect when he uses the tools of his trade to bend, cut, and shape steel by hand and create one-of-a-kind expressive figurative work. His paintings and sculptures have been published in feature articles and numerous art publications. Most noteworthy is inclusion in The Sculpture Reference (illustrated) by Arthur Williams and four Schiffer Publishing collectors’ editions. He has been recognized with numerous awards and featured in magazine articles and on area news reports. His paintings and sculptures can be found in over 500 art collections nationwide and in juried sculpture exhibits across the tri-state region.
Ken Thompson
Diversity Conversation II, Steel and Stainless Steel, $18,000
Ken Thompson holds an honorary doctorate of fine arts from Siena Heights University, a master of liberal studies in sculpture from the University of Toledo and a bachelor of fine arts in painting and printmaking from Siena Heights College (University), Adrian, Michigan.
Ken has been making sculptures since 1978 out of a former car dealership now turned studio in Blissfield, Michigan. From this facility, he and his assistants also operate Flatlanders Sculpture Supply & Art Galleries and the Midwest Sculpture Initiative. Ken is well-versed in bronze casting and metal fabrication but prefers stone carving. The major focus of Ken’s work since 1997 has been on large-scale public sculpture with commissions such as Reclamation Archway for Blue Cross/Blue Shield in Detroit; the Peace Arch for the City of Toledo in honor of the veterans of the Vietnam War; the Korean War Memorial in Toledo, OH; the Centennial Arch in Sylvania, OH; and the Community Arch in Canton, MI. Other large commissions include works at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, MI; Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, OH; Children’s Park in Toledo, OH; Copley Chapel at Georgetown University in Washington, DC; Corpus Christi University Parish in Toledo, OH; the LCVA Millennium Project in Adrian, MI; St. Patrick of Bryan, OH; Siena Heights University and the Dominican Motherhouse, both in Adrian, MI; the Ancient Order of Hibernian’s memorial to the Irish Potato Famine; the Port St. Lucie Arch at Florida Atlantic University, Port St. Lucie, FL; the Alumni Plaza, Corpus Christi University Parish, Toledo, OH; Sylvania, OH; Alma, MI; Jackson, MI; Bonita Springs, FL; Saline, MI; Bowling Green State University; Jackson College in Jackson, MI; the Siena Heights University Centennial Mall Sculpture Project to celebrate the university’s 100th anniversary; University of St. Francis, Fort Wayne; Fostoria, OH; and The Luther Home of Mercy Memorial Sculpture and Gateway in Williston, Ohio. All told, Ken has completed well over 80 large-scale public sculptures. In addition to making large sculptures, Ken enjoys doing smaller-scale work for gallery exhibitions. He has 38 one-person shows, numerous group exhibitions and many awards to his credit.