Upon entering the lower Horn, visitors were met with an array of student artworks including sculptures, digital and magazine collages, paintings, photographs and drawings. The Horn Open Gallery took place from 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursday evening with the theme “Art in the Metropolis.” Students and faculty were allowed to come and go any time during the exhibition, letting them experience diverse mediums of art by talented students. 

Pieces of artwork hung on every wall in the room, in addition to some sculptures that were displayed in more unconventional ways. A sculpture by Kendall Sommers ’26 hung from the ceiling in the corner of the room. Made of cotton fabric, wire, LED light bulbs, string, fishing line and mesh fabric, the sculpture instantly caught visitors’ eyes due to its unique spot in the gallery. Cloth covering the LED light bulb meant that the sculpture glowed from underneath the cloth when the lights were turned on. “The inspiration behind my work was to fit the theme of ‘metamorphosis,’ so it’s a sculptural nest or cocoon,” Sommers said. “But, to be honest, I also just wanted to make something cool with light.” 

Further into the gallery was a painting by Ari Rustad ’26 showing an amalgamation of various body parts set against a swirling purple, green and blue background. “My painting is a conglomeration of idealized female body parts collaged together from magazine cutouts. When they are put together, they create a slightly grotesque looking figure,” Rustad wrote in an email to the Collegian. “I aim to create a sense of discomfort or disgust in the viewer looking at my pieces. This is an ongoing theme in my work, as I like to draw in the viewer with an initial sense of beauty or interest then allow their feelings about the piece to progress as they take a closer look.”

Rustad also featured a sculpture, a bust of a woman’s chest, which was displayed in the middle of the room. “In regards to the bust, this too is an idealized form of femininity that disguises its imperfections upon first viewing. After a closer look, the viewer is able to detect the unevenness of the skin, the chips around the edges and the overall fragility of the piece,” Rustad said. 

On the back wall of the lower Horn were six collages constructed out of magazine cutouts created by Sidney Plummer ’26. Plummer explained that she made the pieces for the class ARTS 351: Contemporary Painting Practices. “Our first assignment was to create 10 collages, one of which we would choose to paint. I’ve always loved collaging, and had been wanting to sit down and do it (with my ever-expanding collection of old magazines) for a long time, so this was the perfect opportunity,” Plummer wrote in an email to the Collegian. “I ended up spending way more time working on this assignment than I should have, and my collages turned into something much more meaningful. I made these collages about what fills my mind every day — what I’m thinking about, how I’m feeling, and creating the worlds in which I exist.” 

A series of three digital photos by Simone Martel ’27 hung on the wall by the door. These unique photos show an image of a person covered in smaller square images that make up a grid, covering the face of the subject of the original photos. 

The Horn Open Gallery was a wonderful opportunity to get to see some of Kenyon’s student artists showcase their various works of art and also a great way to experience all sorts of different forms. “I think having a space curated by passion is my favorite part of the Horn Open Galleries,” Martel said. “It’s sweet to see a body of work presented by students who aren’t doing it for just a grade, in a physical space rather than digital.” Although the reception is over, all of the artwork displayed in the gallery is still in the lower Horn for people to visit.