Emeritus professor featured in library gallery, cultivating self-expression

Wednesday, April 22, 2026

Media Contact: Jade Dudley | Marketing & Communications Coordinator, OSU Library | 405-744-7331 | jade.dudley@okstate.edu

Dr. John Mowen, emeritus professor of marketing and business, spent 33 years teaching students, providing mentorship and building meaningful connections at Oklahoma State University.

Mowen retired in 2011, transitioning from full-time teaching to writing and spending time with family. However, his presence and impact never left the university.

Now, his artwork is on display at the Drs. Roberta and Kerry Havner Gallery, located on the second floor of the Edmon Low Library. Mowen’s work will inspire yet another generation of OSU students, faculty and staff.

“Being told I’m being featured brought tears to my eyes,” Mowen said. “I look back on my 33 years at OSU as a terrific experience both in my career and in my friendships. The library staff has gone above and beyond to feature me. In my retirement, I’m still writing, creating some digital art and playing with my grandchildren.”

Experimenting with various digital art platforms, Mowen uses the term “symphonic expressionism” to describe his artwork. His work is cultivated through listening to music, finding guidance in how it makes him feel. He also enjoys creating optical artworks, playing with perception and how viewers interpret visual movement.

Recently, OSU Library’s Oklahoma Oral History Research Program (OOHRP) conducted two oral history interviews with Mowen, which are available here.

Mowen’s art exhibition is free and open to the public during the Edmon Low Library’s hours of operation.