With the inability to host in-person concerts, the Horn Gallery has had to make adjustments in order to follow COVID-19 guidelines. Going virtual, the Horn Gallery created a website with online performances from artists like Beach Bunny. 

On Saturday, Oct. 17, the Horn featured a virtual concert from up-and-coming indie pop band Beach Bunny. The band performed a lively 25-minute set, playing some of its popular songs, including “Dream Boy,” “Cloud 9” and “Six Weeks.” Recorded in a colorfully lit studio with close-up shots of the musicians, Beach Bunny provided an engaging and enjoyable concert. 

The band presented an energetic performance of its upbeat, catchy songs, punctuating the middle of their set with one of their most well-known songs, “Prom Queen.” The song effortlessly transitions back and forth between soft beats and fast-paced playfulness, catching the audience’s attention. Beach Bunny’s virtual concert provided the Kenyon community with the opportunity to discover new songs and to enjoy listening to a talented band on the rise.

While in past years, the Horn Gallery held around 20 in-person performances per semester, the Horn Gallery has been able to remain active on campus through their website, Zoom meetings and periodic school-wide emails. 

“We wanted to do everything in our power to normalize the experience and make Kenyon feel at least a little bit more communal and entertaining,” said Horn Gallery Co-manager Emma Spivack ’21. The group’s new website also provided an opportunity for other Kenyon students to share their talents in developing the website and designing its artistic elements. 

Horn Gallery Co-manager Francis Ohe ’23 has found the website’s creation to be  beneficial for the Horn, and described it as a great way to share concerts with the community. “If the website is well-received, we might keep it going past COVID restrictive times,” Ohe said. “This online presence may reach a whole new group of people who wouldn’t have checked it out before.” 

The Horn’s website features original virtual concerts from their commissioned artists.  Some of the commissioned artists include Caroline Polachek, George Clanton and Sidney Gish.

Staggering the release dates of their concerts, the Horn Gallery will continue to provide new content until classes end and the reading period begins on the week of Nov. 24. Some of the upcoming concerts include Jed Vonderbruegge on Oct. 24 and Kate Bollinger on Oct. 28. The Horn Gallery is also encouraging the Kenyon community to submit questions to Carlonine Polachek and George Clanton, who are slated to perform. The artists will answer the prompts at the end of their performance. 

Caroline Polachek’s performance will be available on Oct. 30 at 9 p.m. and George Clanton’s can be viewed on Nov. 12. 

The Horn Gallery’s entire fall 2020 lineup can be found on their website, hornathome.com.