BLINK has announced plans for possible cancellations and closures for Saturday night as the remnants of Hurricane Isaias move into the region.

While some shows have already been canceled, most of the exhibits will remain open as long the weather doesn’t become severe, and BLINK Executive Director Leslie Mooney is encouraging “everyone to come experience BLINK rain or shine.”

“BLINK is an outdoor festival, and we’ve prepared for changing weather conditions,” said Mooney. “Our teams are monitoring the forecast and have plans in place to respond as conditions develop.”

Check out a list of affected programming below. The numbers correspond to sites on official BLINK maps, which you can see here.

The following programming has been cancelled due to the weather:
• Asha AMA Fashion Show
• Skatepark Popup
• Brett Bolton Drumming Performance at Music Hall (remaining pieces will be active)
• Live performances at Installations 31, 33 & 36

The following installations may also be affected by the weather:
• Drone Show
• Corner Mapping (49)
• Kroger (29)
• Elm Street Plaza UC Lighting (46)
• All inflatable installations (20, 40, 61, 84)

You can sign up for for safety and traffic notifications by texting BLINK2026 to 77295 to connect with Cincy Alert. BLINK will also be releasing updates on its Facebook page.

“If a shower sends you inside for a bit, it’s a great opportunity to enjoy one of the many restaurants and bars in Cincinnati and Covington before heading back out to explore,” said Mooney.

The post BLINK announces weather plans for Saturday appeared first on Cincinnati CityBeat.

Cincinnati’s biggest show is happening now!

BLINK, the exclusive Cincinnati light and art festival, lit up the night sky Thursday for its first of four nights. More than two dozen streets shut down to vehicular traffic, letting people walk all over the city without fear. Expect to see art from Findlay Market all the way down to Covington. Just pick a spot on the map and go.

Special highlights for this year include a skatepark set up on the corner of Liberty and Elm, Asianati’s “Night Market” featuring all sorts of Asian food and culture at Court Street Plaza, a light-based fashion show at the Black Music Walk of Fame and a polka dot-themed block party at the Art Academy of Cincinnati.

The post PHOTOS: Cincinnati comes alive as BLINK takes over the streets appeared first on Cincinnati CityBeat.

It’s finally here. We’ve talked extensively about BLINK here at CityBeat, as our first issue in October is all about the festival. But now the event is just days away, so you’re probably wondering: what do I actually need to know?

We’re glad you asked.

So what is it?

BLINK is a light and art festival that’s only in Cincinnati. Over two million people are expected to attend the four-day event, which has slowly become Cincinnati’s signature showcase and one of the region’s most significant economic drivers. Streets shut down to vehicular traffic, letting people walk all over the city without fear. Expect to see art from Findlay Market all the way down to Covington. Just pick a spot on the map and go.

When does it start?

Thursday! An Olympics-esque opening ceremony titled ‘Ready, Set, BLINK!’ will gather everyone on a five-block stretch of Central Parkway just outside TQL Stadium, with plenty of live performances and interactive art stations scattered about. As the sun goes down, festival organizers will do a live countdown where they “flip the switch,” and the crowd will see the Queen City light up around them.

What should I expect to see?

Honestly, everything. BLINK is a one-of-a-kind experience where you never know what lies just around the corner. You might see a field of fluorescent yarn, a light show utilizing 1,750 recycled paint cans, or a giant pyramid covered in 360-degree cameras.

Special highlights for this year include a skatepark set up on the corner of Liberty and Elm, Asianati’s “Night Market” featuring all sorts of Asian food and culture at Court Street Plaza, a light-based fashion show at the Black Music Walk of Fame and a polka dot-themed block party at the Art Academy of Cincinnati.

Wait, so how do I get there?

Good question. All parking garages outside the BLINK area will be open for business, but good luck finding a spot without showing up hours in advance. Thankfully, Cincinnati Metro and Kentucky’s TANK will once again be running their usual “Park and Ride” service all over the area. Just park far away and hop on a bus to get right to the action. (More info on that here.)

So what streets are closed?

A whole lot of ’em.

These streets are closed the entire week:

• Freedom Way- closed between Race Street and Marian Spencer Way (Rosa Parks Street will remain open during non-event hours)
• Plum Street- closed between Ninth Street and Eighth Street
• Court Street- closed between Race Street and Walnut Street (Vine Street will remain open during non-event hours)
• Jackson Street- closed between Twelfth Street and Thirteenth Street
• Elder Street- closed between Campbell Street and Elm Street

On Tuesday, October 6, the list is as follows from 6 to 9 p.m. to allow for the BLINK marathon:

• Elm Street- closed between Fourth Street and Fifth Street (Closes at 4:30 p.m. for start/ finish line construction)
• Elm Street- closed between Fifth Street and Mehring Way
• Fifth Street- closed between Central Avenue and Race Street
• Fourth Street- closed between Race Street and Plum Street
• Third Street- westbound closed between Race Street and Plum Street
• Second Street- closed between the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge and Race Street
• Central Avenue- southbound closed between Seventh Street and Fifth Street
• Central Avenue- northbound closed between Third Street and Fifth Street
• Freedom Way- closed between Elm Street and Race Street
• Mehring Way- closed between Central Avenue and E Pete Rose Way
• Johnny Bench Way- closed
• E Pete Rose Way- closed west of Broadway.

And on Thursday, the following streets will be closed for the opening ceremony:

• Central Parkway- closed between Liberty Street and Ezzard Charles Drive (closes at 6 a.m. for block party construction)
• Central Parkway- closed between Liberty Street and Elm Street
• Fourteenth Street- closed west of Elm Street
• Magnolia Street- closed west of Elm Street (Local access maintained but no access to the Central Parkway)
• Fifteenth Street- closed west of Elm Street (Local access maintained but no access to the Central Parkway)
• Odeon Street- closed west of Elm Street (Local access maintained but no access to the Central Parkway)
• Wade Street- closed west of Elm Street (Local access maintained but no access to the Central Parkway).

On top of those, the following streets will be closed nightly from 7 to 11 p.m. while the festival is running:

• Roebling Suspension Bridge
• Elm Street- closed between Central Parkway and Findlay Street (Liberty Street remains open to east-west traffic)
• Race Street- closed between Central Parkway and Findlay Streets (Liberty Street remains open to east-west traffic)
• Vine Street- closed between Third Street and Central Parkway (Third Street, Fifth Street, Sixth Street, Ninth Street remain open for east-west traffic)
• Walnut Street- closed between Third Street and Central Parkway (Third Street, Fifth Street, Sixth Street, Ninth Street remain open for east-west traffic)
• Main Street- closed between Second Street and Twelfth Street (Second Street, Third Street, Fifth Street, Sixth Street, Ninth Street and Central Parkway remain open for east-west traffic) (Main Street will close to maintain the streetcar)
• Jackson Street- closed between Twelfth Street and Central Parkway
• Fourth Street- restricted between Main Street and Race Street. The street will remain open as long as possible but may close due to crowd congestion.
• Seventh Street- restricted between Main Street and Race Street. The street will remain open as long as possible but may close due to crowd congestion.
• Charles Street- closed between Central Parkway and Elm Street
• Twelfth Street- closed to through traffic between Main Street and Central Parkway
• Fourteenth Street- closed between Central Parkway and Vine Street
• Grant Street- closed to through traffic between Central Parkway and Elm Street
• Magnolia Street- closed to through traffic between Central Parkway and Elm Street
• Odeon Street- closed to through traffic between Central Parkway and Elm Street
• Wade Street- closed to through traffic between Central Parkway and Elm Street
• Green Street- closed to through traffic between Vine Street and Elm Street
• Elder Street- closed between Vine Street and Central Parkway.

In addition, these Covington streets will be blocked off:

• Roebling Way
• Park Place from Scott Street to Greenup Street (beginning Oct. 3)
• Court Street (beginning Oct. 3)
• Tobacco Alley from Madison Avenue to Scott Street (beginning Oct. 5)
• E. 3rd Street from Scott Street to Greenup Street
• Electric Alley from E. 4th Street to E. 5th Street
• W. Pike Street from Washington Street to Madison Avenue
• E. 4th Street from Madison Avenue to Greenup Street
• Scott Street from E. 3rd Street to E. Fifth Street
• Madison Avenue from E. 4th Street to E. 8th Street
• W. 7th Street from Washington Street to Madison Avenue

Where can I learn more?

You can keep reading our coverage here at CityBeat, which will run all week long, or visit the official BLINK website.

The post Your guide to BLINK: attractions, special events street closures and more appeared first on Cincinnati CityBeat.

The start of Cincinnati’s biggest event is just hours away. Roughly 30 blocks will soon be shut down for BLINK, the nation’s largest display of light and art, but unless you’re good at reading a map, getting around can be confusing. There’s no official app yet for BLINK. But that’s where BLOOP comes in.

BLOOP, a brand-new app from local developer Nathan Bolender, provides an interactive map of BLINK installations and attractions along with event and music information, search and filtering tools and walking directions. In addition, the app works offline when cell reception is poor, allowing users to navigate through the festival regardless of how busy it gets.

But BLINK is only the beginning. Unlike other apps created for the festival, BLOOP is designed to remain useful long after BLINK ends. The app already includes a guide featuring more than 180 public murals from 1001 Colors, allowing users to discover Cincinnati’s murals year-round. More guides to public art and cultural attractions are planned for the app in the future, and users can submit their own art installations to be displayed on the app, as well.

“BLOOP is about making it easier to explore Cincinnati,” Bolender said. “BLINK is an incredible place to start because there’s so much to see and experience, but Cincinnati has an amazing public art scene year-round. We wanted to build something that could help people discover both the festival and the art that’s here every day.”

The app’s guide-based design allows visitors to switch between different collections of places and experiences while keeping the map focused on what they’re currently exploring.

Key features of the app include:

• An interactive map of BLINK 2026 installations and attractions
• Up-to-date event and music information
• The ability to favorite attractions and keep track of places you’ve visited
• Search and filters to quickly find specific types of art and attractions
• Walking directions and navigation between locations
• An offline-first experience, allowing users to continue exploring even when cellular service is limited or unavailable
• Regularly updated information as festival details and events change
• Guides covering past BLINK editions, public murals from 1001 Colors, and future topics such as local architecture and history.

The app is completely free to download now on BLOOP’s official website.

The post Wanna get around BLINK easier? Try BLOOP appeared first on Cincinnati CityBeat.

BLINK is almost here! The massive international event will come to both sides of the river starting this Thursday evening from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. and will continue every subsequent night through Sunday, Oct. 11.

If you’re attending the event on the Covington side, you’ll need to plan ahead to get into town as some typical entryways into the city will be closed.

From Cincinnati

The Roebling will be closed to vehicle traffic every night of the event, but it will remain open to pedestrians. If you’re driving from Cincinnati, you’ll need to arrive using either the Brent Spence Bridge or the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge.

From Newport

If you’re coming from Newport, the city recommends using the 12th Street Bridge, also known as the Girl Scout Bridge, to traverse the Licking River into the city. TANK’s Licking River Link shuttle service, established in the wake of the 4th Street Bridge demolition to help travelers go back and forth between Covington and Newport, will also be running during the event. Pedestrians and bike riders will be able to access the Licking River Link for free.

What if you’re not using your own car

TANK’s regular routes, which you can learn about here, will be running normally throughout the event. The bus service will also provide a park and ride service from NKU’s campus on Friday and Saturday. Rideshare services like Uber and Lyft will be active, but keep in mind that pedestrian traffic will be heavy.

GEST carts will also be active throughout the event. GEST’s NKY Connector will run regularly between Newport and Covington. Rides are free, but tips are appreciated.

Parking

There are several public parking garages near the festival, including the River Center Parking Garage, Kenton County Parking Garage, Midtown Parking Garage, and City Center/Hotel Covington Parking Garage. You can reserve a spot in the Midtown and River Center garages using the ParkWhiz app.

Meters within the city’s entertainment destination centers (see below) will be shut down from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. every night of the event. Find out more about parking in Covington at the Covington Motor Vehicle Parking Authority’s website.

Entertainment destination centers

Finally, several areas, dubbed “entertainment destination centers” or EDCs, will be set off as public consumption areas. Attendees will be able to carry open containers of alcohol purchased from participating businesses in those areas in specially marked cups. More than a dozen Covington businesses have agreed to participate. You can find a full list of the participating businesses as well as a list of which roads will be closed in the EDC by reading the city’s announcement.

The post How to get into Covington for BLINK this year appeared first on Cincinnati CityBeat.

This story originally appeared in our Sept. 30 – Oct. 13, 2026 print edition. Check out the edition online here and find where you can get a print edition near you here.

It’s bigger than Taste. It’s bigger than Opening Day. It’s bigger than Oktoberfest, and it’s not even close. BLINK, the nation’s largest immersive art experience, returns to Cincinnati on October 8. Over two million people are expected to attend the four-day art festival, which has slowly become Cincinnati’s signature event and one of the region’s most significant economic drivers.

“People from cities across the globe call us on a regular basis and say ‘how in the world did Cincinnati make this happen?’” said Leslie Mooney, vice president and executive director of BLINK. “The first four iterations of BLINK have established us on a national, even global scale as a tech forward and innovative city. It is a tremendous feat of organizational strategy. We’re putting ourselves on the map, and we’ve become the model for a lot of other cities and festivals trying to do ambitious things.”

BLINK began in 2017, as a way to show off what a “future city” could look like. For four nights, the streets of Over-the-Rhine and the Central Business District closed to traffic as people walked around and experienced several interactive art installations. It was an immediate hit, gathering one million visitors, which was at the time the most people who had ever been in downtown Cincinnati all at once.

Since then, the biennial festival has only grown larger and larger, spanning across the river to let Northern Kentucky join the fun while introducing several signature sub-events — like Asianati’s “Night Market,” which brings late-night Asian food and culture to Court Street Plaza. This year’s BLINK is the fifth edition, and the city is going all-out to celebrate. 

For example, gone is the usual kick-off parade that scatters viewers across the city. Instead, an Olympics-esque opening ceremony titled ‘Ready, Set, BLINK!’ will gather everyone on a five-block stretch of Central Parkway just outside TQL Stadium, with plenty of live performances and interactive art stations scattered about. As the sun goes down, festival organizers will do a live countdown where they “flip the switch,” as it were, and the crowd will see the Queen City light up around them.

“It’s a fun and interesting experience where we can really interact with each other, as opposed to a more passive kind of involvement. Imagine the dropping of the ball in Times Square on New Year’s Eve, or the lighting of the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center,” Mooney said. “We’re working with an artist to create a structural piece where they place a symbolic orb inside, so that everyone will see us ‘turning on the lights’ to celebrate the beginning of this year’s BLINK weekend.”

Installations at this year’s festival — which spans 30 blocks — include everything from a field of fluorescent yarn at Elm Street Plaza, to a light show utilizing 1,750 recycled paint cans at Findlay Market, or a giant pyramid located at the riverfront covered in 360-degree cameras. And it wouldn’t be BLINK without some permanent art additions, either; ten new murals will go up around Findlay Market, and ten more will be scattered around Covington. Attendees of the previous few festivals likely know that the festival’s 80+ art installations being too spread out was a common complaint, which Mooney says shouldn’t be a problem this year now that they’ve got more areas to showcase than ever before.

“I think the intention or the concern was, like, how will people feel after so many years of social distancing? And so, things were spread out on purpose,” she said. “That was one of the things, frankly, that even I felt in 2024 coming down to the parade was that we didn’t have much going on in between the river and Fountain Square. We’ve been very intentional about that and have … spent a lot of time and energy on it.”

Speaking of the art, this year’s festival had over 800 qualified submissions. Selected applicants hail from every corner of the world, whether it’s right here in downtown Cincinnati or all the way from Besançon, France. 

“Word on the street in the art community is that this is truly a festival for artists, right? We don’t put a lot of constraints on artists as far as the content, the subject matter. They have a lot of artistic freedom and creativity, which is why it’s so attractive,” Mooney said. “And I think that’s something BLINK has done really well, as evidenced by how many artists we have that submit. Many artists are flying in from overseas, have maybe never been in the United States, and certainly have never been to Cincinnati.”

And in 2024, BLINK drew huge crowds who wanted to see it all, as the festival generated a whopping $200,000,000 of direct economic impact for the city — with approximately 20% of that  coming from out-of-towners. This time, that number should be even higher now that festival organizers visited places like Paris and London to speak about the event internationally.

“We are looking forward to … welcoming well above 25 to 30% of total attendees from out of the market,” said Julie Kirkpatrick, president and CEO of MeetNKY and interim president and CEO of Visit Cincy. “When you’re talking about something that delivers more than $100 million of economic impact to a community, that helps our hotels, that helps restaurants, that helps bars, but more than that, it puts new eyes on a destination, and that’s what we really want.”

More than anything, though, Mooney wants people who live in the city to take pride in the festival’s existence as an only-in-Cincinnati experience.

“Celebrating our history is super important. Having the first professional baseball team, great. Having the longest-running outdoor market, awesome. But we also need to think about what we want for the future of this city, too, and that’s really what BLINK was established to do,” she said. “I want the folks that are coming from the region to feel proud. I want them to be proud to live in Cincinnati. I want them to come down here and just be absolutely mesmerized and blown away. People come to BLINK and say ‘oh my gosh, I have come every year, and every year, I have seen something new, something I’ve never seen before.’ And that will be achieved this year too.”

Check out all of CityBeat‘s BLINK coverage by clicking here.

The post What’s new and notable at this year’s BLINK appeared first on Cincinnati CityBeat.

Thursday morning, various city officials, artists and more gathered to celebrate the impending arrival of the inaugural Cincinnati Art Week and this year’s BLINK Festival.

Cincinnati Art Week begins this Saturday in Over-the-Rhine, and BLINK returns October 8. For those unaware, BLINK is a festival spanning across the city that features light and art across 30 blocks, and is Cincinnati’s largest event.

“I am so excited that BLINK is back in the Queen City. It is well known both here and around the world how big a deal this weekend is for our region,” said Mayor Aftab Pureval. “When we think about our biggest cultural cornerstones, the showcases that put us on the map, that bring people to our doorstep, that elevate our economy and our sense of community, the stage does not get any larger than this … BLINK is the kind of experience you literally cannot get anywhere but in Cincinnati.”

Dan Mecker, head of multimedia design at Fifth Third Bank, teased a total transformation of Fountain Square for this year’s festival.

“It’ll be turned into a playground of laser graffiti, complete with larger-than-life spray paint cans, an immersive laser show, a new mural focused on celebrating everything that the arts do for the region, created by local artists,” he said. “It’s going to be sick, to put it simply. As an artist who grew up in this city, I just want say thank you to … the leaders of our community for making this festival possible. It’s my favorite time of the year.”

Before BLINK begins, though, Cincinnati Art Week will kick off the fun. Beginning this Saturday, October 3, the event will take over several vacant storefronts in Over-the-Rhine and turn them into special art exhibitions. Founded by BLINK alumni Billy and Destinee Thomas of Cincy Nice and Megyn Norbut of No Standing, the event aims to spotlight even more of the city’s vibrant art scene — not just the ones participating in BLINK.

“We are proud BLINK alumni, and we noticed all sorts of incredible artists doing work during it. We got such a preview to the sheer amount of creative energy in the city, and wanted to create a little more visibility for all the artists who are just in their studios and aren’t always put at the forefront during these nighttime events,” Destinee Thomas told CityBeat.

Hamilton County Commissioner Alicia Reese got up during the conference and spoke on her excitement for what she said is “the biggest light show in the world.”

“We have the best creatives the world has ever seen right here in Cincinnati, in Hamilton County,” she said. “I keep seeing the lights go up and go, ‘ooh, I’m so excited!'”

Reese also announced that world-famous singer-songwriter Penny Ford of Snap! fame would be in attendance to this year’s BLINK as a special guest, and would be available for autographs and pictures at the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame as part of this year’s installation.

Months ago, CityBeat interviewed Leslie Mooney, the vice president and executive director of BLINK, about this year’s festival.

“People from cities across the globe call us on a regular basis and say ‘how in the world did Cincinnati make this happen?’” she said. “The first four iterations of BLINK have established us on a national, even global scale as a tech forward and innovative city. It is a tremendous feat of organizational strategy. We’re putting ourselves on the map, and we’ve become the model for a lot of other cities and festivals trying to do ambitious things.”

Now that BLINK is just a week away, she’s ecstatic to see the city’s work come to fruition.

“I’m most looking forward to the opening ceremony, and starting off with a collective, community-driven moment where we can all turn the lights on together and represent the pride that I think this region takes in putting on something as big and ambitious as BLINK together,” she said. “I am so excited. Honestly, I cannot wait. I’m ready for it to start. We’re out in the field. We’re working day and night to get everything set up. We’re ready to go.”

Check out all of CityBeat‘s BLINK coverage by clicking here.

The post Before BLINK lights up 30 blocks, new art week takes over vacant OTR storefronts appeared first on Cincinnati CityBeat.

This story originally appeared in our Sept. 30 – Oct. 13, 2026 print edition. Check out the edition online here and find where you can get a print edition near you here.

BLINK would be nothing without the work of the countless Cincinnatians who have participated in the festival throughout the years. In our latest cover issue, all about BLINK, we share part one of our Q&As with several artists from this year’s festival, including how they’re helping light up the Queen City.

DAN SHIELDS

– Where will your installation be located? Elm Street Plaza, near 5th Street.

– Briefly describe your installation. The triumphant return of String Theory for Dummies 2.0 as last seen at BLINK 2022 in Washington Park. I will be setting up a large structure using trussing with netting to create attachment points. Visitors will be invited to add their own contribution to the installation by tossing balls of fluorescent yarn and weaving existing strands. The installation will include a programmed light show, lots of UV blacklights, and use of a custom-built UV laser to create unusual effects on the fluorescent yarn. I’ll be providing a number of special surprise features to both help people launch yarn up high and also to provide targets/goals. I’m working on targets that, when struck by balls of yarn, will affect the light show of the entire piece. Think of them like the different sized targets found on Skee-Ball games. 

– Describe the construction process. For this piece, I’m having a vendor construct a large cube-like structure out of metal trussing, approximately 40’x40′ by 18′ tall. This will have a large net attached to the top of the structure to create a roof. I will work with a small team of volunteers to create a basic structure of yarn by tossing yarn balls through the ceiling net, attaching to the vertical trussing and ground, and weaving the pieces together to create a consistent form. Visitors will then be invited to join in the fun and make their own contributions, with guidance from me and my team via a megaphone and hands-on learning.

– What is the inspiration for your piece? I have been using yarn for group collaborative projects since 2014 and there are many things I can point to for inspiration. Yarn can be remarkably strong, but it is not unbreakable and has a limit. Too much stress or too much tension may cause a connection to break. In that same way, every relationship has its limit – relationships to friends, partners, careers, achievement, health, pleasure, etc. Relationships can endure an incredible amount, they can morph and change without breaking. However, too much stress in one area could break a connection, and that delicate but resilient network of support could break, unravel and fall apart completely. A single strand of yarn is not strong by itself, but many strands, when working together, can do incredible things that the individual pieces are not capable of doing alone. Much like a single person cannot turn the tide of any new cultural change alone (whether socially or in any industry), groups of people can band together to accomplish unimaginable feats. Many hands make light work. Pulling on one strand of yarn sends ripples out across the entire piece because it is all connected. You cannot express change or influence, however small, without sending ripples of impact across the whole. There’s a lesson here about our inherent connection to every other human being on Earth. It may seem faint at times, but our lives are all woven together. So always be mindful of the web you weave.

– How important is it to you, as a local artist, to be involved in a massive international art festival like BLINK? BLINK is a huge reason I am an artist. I worked at a public relations firm for years and never took art seriously until I was 30. Up until that point, each year I would create one piece for a small music festival run by friends. However, I attended the first BLINK in 2017, thought it was the coolest thing ever, and set a goal to be involved. I was accepted in 2019 and knew that I needed to create the best piece possible to live up to the standard set by the first edition of the event. Thanks to the positive reception of that piece, I began pursuing art seriously as a career. Seven years later I’m a professional artist. I absolutely love BLINK and owe a huge debt to this event because it gave me confidence as an artist, but it also brings the whole city to life in a way I’ve never seen at any other event. Cincinnati is often overlooked by the global art community, so BLINK’s ability to bring international artists to exhibit incredible work while they also cross-pollinate with the city’s culture and local art community is absolutely invaluable on so many levels.

– Is there anything else you want Cincinnatians to know about you and your work? I was never a person who felt comfortable with the title “artist.” For most of my life, I felt that term was reserved for people like Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Picasso, Dali, and the greats. I stumbled backwards into being an artist and it was the last thing I ever thought possible. However, it was the look on people’s faces in 2019 as they turned the corner and saw my first BLINK installation that made me think ‘I might just have something here.’ This is when I began to understand that art doesn’t come from artists; art comes from people, and every person has something unique to add to that conversation. Much to the surprise of my 29 year old self, even I have something to add.

ALANDES POWELL

– Where will your installation be located? One is at the Cincinnati Convention Center / Elm Street Plaza area; the other is at 801 Plum Street, directly in front of Cincinnati City Hall.

– Briefly describe your installation. “PASSING THE TORCH” – Six years after Cincinnati’s original Black Lives Matter! mural was created in 2020, Black Art Speaks is reimagining the mural for a new chapter. The 2026 mural is centered on the theme “Passing the Torch,” and an original poem titled We Must, by Alandes Powell. Rather than simply repainting what existed before, we are honoring the artists and history of the original mural while bringing a new generation of lead artists into the work. For BLINK, the mural will also be incorporated into a light/projection experience, adding another dimension to the work when it is unveiled on October 8. “Twinkle Twinkle Funk Glasses” takes the Funk Glasses public artwork at Elm Street Plaza and transforms it through projection mapping, light, animation and movement into a BLINK experience celebrating the city’s extraordinary musical and cultural legacy. It is fun, bold, colorful and unmistakably Cincinnati.

– How many people were involved? The project includes 18 artist teams — 17 letter teams plus a Letter Zero team — involving lead artists, supporting artists, project leadership and other collaborators. Plus the staff of Black Art Speaks; Alandes Powell, CEO, Marsha Thornton, COS, and Alexis Patton, Project Manager. Brandon Hawkins serves as the overall Project Director.

– Describe the construction process. The process began long before paint touches the street. It included developing the “Passing the Torch” concept, writing We Must, selecting the new lead artists, pairing and transitioning artists, completing multiple phases of design development, coordinating 18 teams and preparing the site. Plum Street will close beginning October 1, and the artists will paint the mural October 2–8, leading to its unveiling on October 8 during BLINK.

– What is the inspiration for your piece? For the mural, the inspiration is legacy, responsibility and what comes next. The original mural captured an extraordinary moment in Cincinnati in 2020. Six years later, we wanted to do more than repaint it. We wanted to honor the people who created that history while asking a new generation of artists to tell the story based on today. That is why the theme is “Passing the Torch.” The words We Must are also intentional. Change doesn’t happen simply because we believe in something. There are things we must do individually and collectively to create the community and future we say we want. For “Twinkle Twinkle Funk Glasses,” the major inspiration is Cincinnati’s own Bootsy Collins. Bootsy’s iconic glasses, unmistakable style, creativity and larger-than-life presence have become symbols of funk itself. He also represents something extremely important to this project: Cincinnati’s influence on music and culture reaches far beyond Cincinnati. The installation also celebrates the broader legacy of King Records and the musicians, artists and innovators who helped establish Cincinnati as an important center of American music. 

– How important is it to you, as a local artist, to be involved in a massive international art festival like BLINK? BLINK gives Cincinnati artists an international platform without requiring them to leave Cincinnati to find one. Thousands of people will walk through our city and experience work created here, by artists who live and work here. That creates visibility, but it also creates economic opportunity and demonstrates the extraordinary level of creative talent that exists in Cincinnati. Having two very different Black Art Speaks projects in BLINK is particularly meaningful. One asks people to think about justice, legacy, responsibility and what we must do next. The other celebrates music, creativity, joy and Cincinnati’s contribution to culture. Both are about telling our stories and making sure those stories continue.

– Is there anything else you want Cincinnatians to know about you and your work? Black Art Speaks was born from the creation of Cincinnati’s original Black Lives Matter! mural in 2020. What started with one historic piece of public art grew into an organization committed to creating opportunities for artists and using art as a vehicle for culture, economic opportunity, conversation and social change.

CEDRIC MICHAEL COX, BRENT KELTCH

– Where will your installation be located? Smale Riverfront Park.

– Briefly describe your installation. Polyphonic Pyramid is a temporary installation, a 14-foot-tall pyramid that incorporates the paintings of Cedric Michael Cox and Brent Keltch’s 360-degree photography of Downtown Cincinnati to create a vivid montage of the city we love. The use of 360 cameras nearby adds an interactive element, and allows the audience to control the projected mapping composition. The diverse layers of geometric shapes, with Cox’s whimsical forms and patterns, reference the diverse culture of our city while celebrating the diverse architectural elements that welcome all who visit, live, shop, and work in and around our Queen City.

– Describe the construction process. From the raw canvas that we painted on, which is stretched on the metal frames, everything was custom fabricated.

– What is the inspiration for your piece? Art is an essential way for Brent and I to communicate and build relationships with all communities, and with public art, Brent and I have a history of doing this.  With decades of combined experience between the two of us, we are always interested in finding new and inventive ways to get people closer to the art and the artists who make it.

FRANK D. YOUNG AND JIM TUCKER

– Where will your installation be located? Our Daily Bread Soup Kitchen in Over-the-Rhine.

– Briefly describe your installation. Our mural is a love letter to Our Daily Bread and the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood that mixes the painting style of Jim Tucker with the portrait photography of Frank Young.

– Describe the construction process. Wheatpaste portraits blended with free hand painted art.

– What is the inspiration for your piece? The beautiful people of Over-the-Rhine who make the area so incredibly special. It is extremely important to Jim and I to be involved in this cycle so that we can continue the road paved by past artists that have participated such as Chaskeh and Gee Horton. Both Jim and I love Cincinnati very, very much, and we are proud to be here making art that Cincinnati can love and be proud of.

The post Meet some of the Cincinnati artists lighting up BLINK 2026 appeared first on Cincinnati CityBeat.

This story originally appeared in our Sept. 30 – Oct. 13, 2026 print edition. Check out the edition online here and find where you can get a print edition near you here.

BLINK would be nothing without the work of the countless Cincinnatians who have participated in the festival throughout the years.

As part of our cover issue on BLINK, here is part two of our Q&A’s with several different artists from this year’s festival sharing how they’re helping to light up the Queen City. You can read part one by clicking here.

CHASKE HAVERKOS

– Where will your installation be located? Corner of Sixth and Vine Streets near Fountain Square, the old Terrace Plaza Hotel building.

– Briefly describe your installation. My temporary installation is titled ‘The Cube,’ and is a 5-minute projection-mapped audio/visual experience. The animated piece features vibrant colors, fluid animations, and unique perspectives set to a driving soundtrack that aims to take the audience on a visual journey exploring both the outside, and inside, of the massive corner site.

– How many people were involved? Three. I created all of the visuals and animation, and the soundtrack was created by two longtime musician collaborators of mine, Ann Driscoll and Adam Pleiman, with the local Play Audio Agency. This will be our fourth time working on a soundtrack for a Blink piece of mine together.

– Describe the construction process. My process always begins with the site, the blank canvas, and the unique opportunities it presents. This specific corner site for Blink 2026 is incredibly exciting and I’m energized by the potential created by the perspective and sheer scale of the building. A narrative can take on many forms and, with this piece, it is a story told through motion, color, form, and space with an original soundtrack as the engine. The immense size of the unencumbered walls, in combination with the dimensionality, has inspired my work and I’ve enjoyed exploring the spatial and volumetric opportunities this unique site offers.

– What is the inspiration for your piece? For this piece, I was inspired by the unique opportunity of having not one, but two walls, and the ability to utilize that interplay between the walls and the space that it forms. I felt using the cube as a volume to fill, a box to house, and a form with surfaces, all offered exciting and infinite potentials. My mission for the piece was consistent: create a beautifully engaging and stimulating piece of immersive projection mapped animation that embraces the building; to create an audio visual experience that is uniquely Blink.

– How important is it to you, as a local artist, to be involved in a massive international art festival like BLINK? It’s incredibly important to me both personally and professionally. It’s one of my biggest goals when the open-call begins and one of the festivals that means the most to me, especially being from Cincinnati, but mainly because it is top-notch. Blink is where I first projection-mapped, it’s where I got my start doing the projection work that I’ve become so passionate about. It’s become a measuring-stick, to me, as it’s grown and I take immense pride in always trying to get better, learn more, and expand my skills, so that I can continue to be part of it into the future.

ASHA AMA BIAS-DANIELS

– Where will your installation be located? Black Music Walk of Fame.

– Briefly describe your installation. “Voyage to Atlantis” is a temporary installation and an immersive fashion, music, and light experience that merges couture fashion, technology, music, and visual storytelling. The experience will transform the Walk of Fame into a fashion-forward environment featuring ASHA AMA couture collection & immersive runway show, a chance for guests to explore the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame, and live performances that celebrate Cincinnati’s rich Black musical legacy. The experience will also highlight emerging young designers from my mentorship program, including Makeda Zy’Ann, Diabou Fall, Fashionista Franklin, Makémé Sangaré, and Maddy Love, giving the next generation of Cincinnati creatives a platform alongside established artists.

– How many people were involved? The installation is being developed through a collaborative creative and production team led by ASHA AMA, featuring a group of young mentee designers (Makeda Zy’Ann, Diabou Fall, Fashionista Franklin, Makémé Sangaré, and Maddy Love), music artists Mic. Carr & Shades, Turich Benjy, Cleöcrt & more.

– Describe the construction process. The installation will incorporate a fashion runway/stage environment, lighting, electrical and technical components, backstage support, and guest-facing areas. Depending on the final site configuration, the installation may include a stage and backdrop to conceal backstage areas, a green room for models and the creative team, audience seating, and custom lighting designed to support the fashion presentation.

– What is the inspiration for your piece? Voyage to Atlantis is inspired by the intersection of Black music, fashion, futurism, and technology, with the Isley Brothers serving as an important creative influence. The collection explores ideas of movement, transformation, and an imagined futuristic world through reflective, metallic, holographic, crystal-embellished, and illuminated materials. A major part of the experience is also honoring the legacy of Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame inductees, including artists such as The Isley Brothers and Penny Ford, while connecting their musical legacy to a new generation of artists, designers, and audiences.

– How important is it to you, as a local artist, to be involved in a massive international art festival like BLINK? As a Cincinnati-born artist living in New York, I have built a career taking fashion into spaces where it intersects with art, music, and culture. BLINK provides an extraordinary opportunity to bring that vision home. Cincinnati has played an important role in my artistic journey, and I am excited to contribute to a festival that brings international attention to our city. I especially love that this opportunity allows me to celebrate Cincinnati’s Black cultural legacy while simultaneously creating a platform for emerging local designers and creatives.

– Is there anything else you want Cincinnatians to know about you and your work? I want Cincinnatians to know that fashion, for me, has always been about much more than clothing. It is a reminder of who we are, where we come from, and a way to manifest our highest selves & furtures. I strive to create experiences that challenge people to see fashion differently while creating opportunities for other creatives to grow. Voyage to Atlantis is an extension of that mission—bringing together fashion, music, technology, emerging talent, and Cincinnati’s incredible cultural history in one immersive experience. I am incredibly proud to bring this vision to my hometown and to share it with the city during BLINK 2026. I am grateful to the amazing people that make BLINK happen: the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce, AGAR, the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame, & Alicia Reece for all of the support to bring such a massive project to life.

KATIE DAVIS

– Where will your installation be located? Corner of Elm & Green Street, near Findlay Market.

– Briefly describe your installation. inCANdescent is a temporary installation made from over 1,750 reclaimed paint cans collected over the past decade through community efforts and constructed with the help of dozens of local volunteers. Assembled, the cans interlock to form a structural cylinder of mesmerizing color, movement, and light. Surrounding the main hub of inCANdescent are concentric circles of seating and greenery– effectively transforming a gravel parking lot into a pop-up park. As an environmental organization, Keep Cincinnati Beautiful (KCB) is committed to reducing its environmental impact by reusing materials whenever possible. By transforming what might be considered waste into public art, we invite viewers to reflect on consumption in our society and redefine their understanding of what is considered Art.

– How many people were involved? It takes a village! Our Arts team (myself [Katie Davis], Claire Bryson, and Kennedy Cantrell) have led the ideation and construction of inCANdescent, but much of the work has been completed with the help of dozens of volunteers.

– Describe the construction process. Gallon-sized paint cans are single use and non-recyclable. We have saved the paint cans from our public art projects for over a decade, and discovered that as a repetitive unit paint cans will nest together as a natural curve, creating a visual fabric not unlike a beehive. The empty cans each have a hole drilled in the bottom which is filled with a programmable LED bulb. The handles are removed and this is used as a connection point. The cans are simply zip tied together and stacked, forming a solid structure.

– What is the inspiration for your piece? At Keep Cincinnati Beautiful, everything we do comes back to community and caring for our shared public spaces. BLINK is such an incredible opportunity not only to highlight sources of Cincinnati pride, but also to shine a light on spaces that are often overlooked. Our favorite BLINK installations are the ones that are tucked away as surprises during the hustle and bustle of the festival. This October we will transform a vacant lot into a pop-up park, complete with greenery and (of course) light art. We hope that inCANdescent will serve as a moment of discovery and reflection for its visitors. We are delighted and honored to represent a small part of Cincinnati’s broad and diverse community of artists and community nonprofits. Cincinnati is a city that embraces art in all its forms, and we are so excited to see her shine in a few weeks. Come for the big international names and stay to discover and support artists in your local community!

NAPOLEON MADDOX

– Where will your installation be located? Corner of Race & Third Street.

– Briefly describe your installation. The title of my installation is “I Am a Submarine For My Dreams.” It explores an imaginary world between 2 rivers; the Doubs in Besançon, France and the Ohio River in Cincinnati. In between the 2 rivers, I encounter creatures, explore possibilities and rediscover myself. Courageously, I’m embarking on a voyage, bringing my history along with me into this underwater dream. This installation will be accompanied by 3 brand new songs from the upcoming album “1968” by Sorg & Napoleon Maddox.

– How many people were involved? Myself, Napoleon Maddox: conception, painting, collage, writing & vocal performance / recording. Robin Perrey: animation & mapping. Sorg: composition & music production. Antoine Saba: photography.

– Describe the construction process. Apart from the process of writing and composing the songs, the construction of this installation was based on me repurposing French bread paper. I hot ironed, cut, collaged, painted and sculpted the paper creatures. Then Antoine Saba made photographs of each individual creature. I sent these photographs to Robin Perrey, along with the 3 songs and the lyrics to the songs. These songs tell intimate stories about the underwater dream world, self discovery, questioning and growth. Robin animated the marine animals, water and text to correspond with my lyrics as the songs play, to ascend the side of the building during BLINK. 

– What is the inspiration for your piece? My inspiration for this piece was the time I’ve spent away from home, in a new country, in a new city. Everyday I had to become reacquainted with who I am, or who I thought I was. Although I was far from home (Cincinnati), I realized with time that I was building and growing into a new person. In order to reach my dreams, I would naturally stay connected to who I am, but I had to be willing to face the unknown. The rivers that pass through my old city and my new city became a metaphor for my dreams, my growth and my future.

– How important is it to you, as a local artist, to be involved in a massive international art festival like BLINK? It is an honor to be a featured artist in BLINK, even more so as I have to pleasure of working with Nouvelles Formes in Besançon, France to present a French version of the installation we are premiering at BLINK. 

– Is there anything else you want Cincinnatians to know about you and your work? I want Cincinnatians to know that I am grateful to represent our city abroad, and I’m grateful to have the chance to continue to build bridges between creatives and communities globally. Whether it’s through the guests we bring to the UnderWorld Black Arts Festival, or artists we take on international tours with ISWHAT?!, or recording projects with Sorg, or the amazing opportunity to expand our global community, or being featured at BLINK, collaboration and community are central to my work. And this all began with my formative years in Cincinnati.

JESSICA WOLF

– Where will your installation be located? 7th Street in Covington, in front of Braxton Brewery.

– Briefly describe your installation. Lumifolia is a large-scale illuminated geodesic dome filled with more than a thousand translucent, leaf-like forms. RGB lighting mounted along the dome’s frame shines down through the leaves, filtering and diffusing through the translucent material much like sunlight passing through a canopy of real leaves. The colors shift through a compressed 24-hour sky cycle, moving through the colors and moods of an entire day in just a few minutes. Visitors will be able to enter the dome and feel enveloped in a canopy of luminous trees. It’s a moment of serenity in an otherwise busy and bright event.

– How many people were involved? The piece is being created primarily by me, with studio help from friends and family. The awesome folks at Kemper Sauce Studios are doing their magic to bring the light animation to life. AGAR has been wonderful in helping lay the foundation for the engineering and permitting.

– Describe the construction process. The geodesic dome provides the framework, with approximately 1,500 individual leaf forms suspended above visitors to create the illusion of a living, glowing environment. The leaves are made from lightweight, translucent polycarbonate. Each piece is assembled by hand and attached to the structure in cascading strands, creating layers that catch and filter the light. Lighting mounted along the dome frame shines down through the leaves, allowing the material to soften and transform the light in much the same way a natural canopy filters sunlight. Breezes will provide a kinetic element to the experience, causing the strands to gently drift and sway.

– What is the inspiration for your piece? I’m interested in creating environments that make people slow down, look up, and experience a little bit of awe. Lumifolia started with the idea of bringing the feeling of a living, changing sky into an unexpected city space. The first spark of inspiration came from time spent in my little backyard urban oasis, where I can sit under a giant maple tree and become entranced by the shifting colors of the sky. There’s also something really satisfying to me about taking hundreds or thousands of small, repetitive elements and combining them into something much larger. Each individual piece is simple, but together they become an immersive environment.

SEW VALLEY

– Where will your installation be located? Imagination Alley, Vine Street, OTR

– Briefly describe your installation. “THREADED LIGHT” transforms an ordinary alleyway into a glowing corridor of color, sound, light and texture. A luminous installation that celebrates the hands, materials, and processes behind the clothes we wear. Presented by Sew Valley, a nonprofit garment manufacturer rooted in Cincinnati’s creative and sustainable economy, the piece draws inspiration from the tactile world of apparel production and the invisible labor that shapes it.

– How many people were involved? We have a core planning team of 5 people, but our entire team of 15+ individuals will all contribute towards the overall look, feel, and installation of the temporary installation. We hope to utilize a portion in our facility after the festival is over to prevent as much as possible from going to landfill.

– Describe the construction process. We are partnering with our friends at Ohio Valley Goodwill to provide clothing for the clotheslines, videographer Rob Misleh to create a hologram of a sewing technician assembling a jacket at the forefront of the installation, and sound engineer Joey Thomas to record and feature sounds from our garment factory to make the user experience engaging and fun. Our trusted team will all contribute to assembling the installation.

– What is the inspiration for your piece? This installation embodies Sew Valley’s mission to build a more responsible, transparent, and equitable apparel manufacturing industry in Cincinnati. By bringing the textures and sounds and video of making into public space, “THREADED LIGHT” invites viewers to reflect on where, and by whom, their clothing is made. It celebrates the creativity and craftsmanship that sustain our local economy while challenging perceptions of manufacturing as hidden or outdated.

– How important is it to you, as a local artist, to be involved in a massive international art festival like BLINK? We’re excited to incorporate new textures and experiences to this year’s Blink festival. For us, this festival is an opportunity to challenge perceptions about what a garment factory can be and what apparel manufacturing looks like. As a nonprofit garment factory, we want people to see the skill, creativity, and human hands behind every piece of clothing they wear. We also want to show that apparel can be made right here in our own backyard, and that sewn trades and advanced manufacturing can offer sustainable, rewarding career paths for people looking to build and expand their skills. The Blink festival is a great opportunity to tell our story to a larger audience and do our part in changing the industry for the better.

– Is there anything else you want Cincinnatians to know about you and your work? All clothes are handmade!

KEMPER SAUCE STUDIOS

– Where will your installation be located? The Brady Music Center Lawn at The Banks.

– Briefly describe your installation. “YELL.E.D.: A series of arches serve as the structure for a canopy of LED netting. On either end of the structure are audio receivers. Yelling sends a wave of light, streaming down the light canopy. The louder you yell, the more light you send. Gather those around you and yell alongside your new squad to push the light further. On the other end of the light canopy is a competing receiver. Visualized sounds from each team meet in the center, dancing and blending as they go back and forth. Audiences will choose whether to compete or collaborate on an improvised, kinetic performance piece that will temporarily sit at the Brady Music Center Lawn.

– How many people were involved? Kemper Sauce Studios is an engineering and arts collective. Many hands help in the creation of our projects. The making of YELL.E.D. includes a software programmer, hardware designer, electrical engineer, and two metal workers.

– Describe the construction process. Tunnel structure: Engineering meetings and arch design discussions, metal working – welding and pipe bending. System hardware: controller, and power box design and building – Starts with schematics and wiring diagrams, followed by small scale tests, before sourcing, assembling, soldering, wiring, and building out the final project parts. Doing our best to keep the smoke inside the wires. Software development: Designing a pipeline to make crowd noise become art with signal processing audio inputs into visualizations – programming animations to the lights, programming audio inputs from the microphone receivers, writing spells.

– What is the inspiration for your piece? Our projects are for the people, and we all have something to yell about.

– How important is it to you, as a local artist, to be involved in a massive international art festival like BLINK? Our engineering and arts collective was formed with big ideas for BLINK 2017. We continue to expand our reach in the local arts community from the connections made at each BLINK festival. This massive art festival encourages us to make fun, interactive art for the people of Cincinnati and find like-minded artists to collaborate with and inspire development.

– Is there anything else you want Cincinnatians to know about you and your work? We build, wire, and code things we think are neat. DIY is in our DNA. Our spirit is fueled by pinball machines, Malort, that song from Tetris, and the rhythmic dance of stars reflecting off the waves on the open sea.

JOE GIRANDOLA AND THE ART ACADEMY OF CINCINNATI

– Where will your installation be located? Polka-DOTober will be centered at the Art Academy of Cincinnati in Over-the-Rhine, with the primary outdoor activation along Jackson Street between 12th and 13th Streets. Jackson Street, AAC’s building, and the surrounding streetscape will become the canvas for four days and nights of art, light, music, and performance. The experience will also extend inside the Art Academy through exhibitions, activities, and public spaces, making the entire campus part of the BLINK experience.

– Briefly describe your installation. Polka-DOTober is a four-night immersive activation that transforms the Art Academy of Cincinnati and Jackson Street into a luminous corridor of art, music, performance, and community participation. Large-scale 3D projection mapping will transform AAC’s architecture after dark, while illuminated and interactive sculptures, animation, student-created light works, dance, fire performance, and a giant illuminated inflatable version of AAC’s mascot, Stinker the Skunk, activate the street. Music is a major part of the experience. In collaboration with Cincinnati Music Accelerator (CMA), a mobile stage will anchor Jackson Street all four nights with local DJs, musicians, and performers and will host Stinkstock, AAC’s famous rock concert, for a special night of live music. Dance Flash Fusion, CityBeat’s Best of Cincinnati Best Dance Company, will perform across multiple nights, and AAC students will bring LED wings, illuminated sculptures, glow-in-the-dark face painting, and other light-based works into the festival. Polka-DOTober also extends beyond nighttime programming. Daytime activities include a Hoop Jam Hula Hoop Party, hands-on activities, exhibitions, and opportunities to explore AAC. On Saturday, October 10, Marshmallow, a live skunk from the Cincinnati Zoo, will even visit Stinker at AAC. Rather than presenting a single isolated artwork, Polka-DOTober activates an entire half city block and invites the public to move through it as a living, changing canvas.

– How many people were involved? This is a truly collaborative project involving dozens of people. The core AAC artist team includes AAC students, Marc Governanti, Sarah Stolar, Keith Benjamin, Michael Hurst, Stephen Kenny, Anh Tran, Grace Wohlschlegel, and me, with additional faculty artists, staff, technical specialists, fabricators, installers, performers, and student workers contributing throughout the project. The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is also an important creative partner, building on AAC’s relationship with Marshmallow the skunk and bringing that distinctly Cincinnati connection into Polka-DOTober. Cincinnati Music Accelerator is bringing its mobile stage and four nights of music programming; Dance Flash Fusion and other performers will activate Jackson Street; and additional community and cultural partners are contributing to the larger experience. Red Bull will also partner with AAC throughout BLINK, bringing an additional street-level presence to Polka-DOTober. A Red Bull MINI Cooper will be stationed at the corner of 12th and Jackson Streets, with Red Bull brand ambassadors on site distributing complimentary Red Bull to festival visitors.

– Describe the construction process. The installation brings together physical fabrication, digital art, projection, lighting, sound, and performance. A high-powered projector will be used for architectural 3D projection mapping, while LED lighting, electrical components, rigging and aircraft cable, large-scale inflatable sculpture, sound equipment, and interactive elements will transform the surrounding streetscape. Lifts and professional rigging are used to safely install work across the building and public spaces. At the same time, students and faculty are creating animations, illuminated sculptures, projections, and performance-based works in AAC’s studios and classrooms. Those works then have to be translated from the scale of a studio or computer screen to the scale of a building and city street. Installation requires close coordination among artists, students, technical specialists, fabricators, performers, and production teams, followed by a complete de-installation after BLINK.

– What is the inspiration for your piece? The inspiration comes from the idea that the city itself can become a canvas. At the Art Academy, we think of public space as an extension of the classroom and a place where experimentation, education, professional artistic practice, and community can intersect. The polka-dot imagery gives us a playful visual language that can move across architecture, sculpture, projection, light, performance, and the street itself. Stinker the Skunk adds another layer of humor and personality that is distinctly AAC. But the larger idea is about creating a place where people encounter something different every few feet: a projection across a building, an illuminated sculpture made by a student, a DJ or band performing on the CMA stage, dancers moving through the street, or an unexpected interaction with an artwork. Ultimately, the inspiration is Cincinnati—its people, its architecture, its creative energy, and the possibility of taking a familiar place and making it feel completely different for a few extraordinary nights.

– How important is it to you, as a local artist, to be involved in a massive international art festival like BLINK? As an artist, educator, and President of the Art Academy of Cincinnati, I see BLINK as an extraordinary opportunity to place AAC artists, students, and emerging creative voices alongside artists working at an international level. There is something powerful about hundreds of thousands of people encountering art directly in the streets rather than only within traditional cultural spaces. For AAC, it is especially important because our students are part of a major international art festival. They are making work for buildings and public streets, collaborating with professional artists and technical teams, performing for large audiences, and seeing firsthand what it takes to move an idea from the studio into public space. That intersection of education, professional practice, community, and experimentation has been at the heart of the Art Academy’s place in Cincinnati for more than 150 years. BLINK allows us to put that philosophy into practice on an extraordinary scale.

– Is there anything else you want Cincinnatians to know about you and your work? My own practice has always been interested in sculpture, public art, drawing, mixed-media installation, community placemaking, and the relationship between concept, material, and site. Polka-DOTober brings many of those interests together, but what excites me most is that this project is larger than any one artist. It represents AAC students, faculty, alumni, staff, artists, performers, and community partners coming together to make something ambitious for Cincinnati. I also want Cincinnatians to understand that AAC is opening its doors during BLINK and inviting the city into the creative life of the college. Visitors can experience the light installations and performances outside and then come inside to discover exhibitions and other programming. SITE1212 will feature internationally recognized photographer Accra Shepp’s Bearing Witness as part of the 2026 FotoFocus Biennial, alongside opportunities throughout AAC to encounter student work and experience the college itself. Most of all, we want people to come down Jackson Street and have fun. See Stinker glowing over the street, hear music from the CMA stage, watch dancers and performers, encounter student artwork, come inside and see an exhibition, make something, hula hoop, or simply spend some time with us. Polka-DOTober is meant to be joyful, accessible, a little strange, and unmistakably AAC.

LIV CASSINELLI

– Where will your installation be located? At the Payphone Mural on 1614 Race Street near Findlay Market.

– Briefly describe your installation. It’s a colorful looping animation that will be projected onto an existing mural in Over-The-Rhine.

– How many people were involved? Just me! While my projection will be a temporary exhibit for the festival, the existing mural is a permanent BLINK project from 2024, painted by artists Leon Keer & Massina.

– Describe the construction process. The process has included several months of brainstorming, sketching, and slowly refining my video sequence. I avoid using generative AI and mainly use adobe after effects to animate.

– What is the inspiration for your piece? The existing mural gave me a great base to jump off of, sparking inspiration from our city’s lively urban environment, street art, and bold colors that line our cityscape. The graffiti on the phone also sparked deeper meanings of longing and loss. But largely I wanted to showcase some fun and whimsy through the project.

– How important is it to you, as a local artist, to be involved in a massive international art festival like BLINK? I feel honored to be able to showcase my work on such a large scale canvas in my hometown. It’s a huge deal to my loved ones and I for the opportunity to participate in such a memorable event! I’m proud to be a queer tattoo artist, designer, and muralist from little ol’ Cincinnati, Ohio. Our city has so many opportunities for grassroots creatives, sometimes you just have to really put yourself out there and keep going!

CHASE MELENDEZ

– Where will your installation be located? Covington City Hall.

– Briefly describe your installation. It’s a permanent exterior mural located in the courtyard of the main entrance of the building.

– How many people were involved? Just me.

– Describe the construction process. Create designs to fit the location, get approval, the wall will be prepped then I will draw the design onto the wall and then paint it.

– What is the inspiration for your piece? The piece is a continuation of my exploration of space, rhythm, and movement while bringing interaction and energy to the location.

– How important is it to you, as a local artist, to be involved in a massive international art festival like BLINK? It’s extremely important and a huge honor! Even if I wasn’t a local artist it would be a big deal, and being a local artist makes it even more special.

The post Meet more of the Cincinnati artists lighting up BLINK 2026 appeared first on Cincinnati CityBeat.

This story originally appeared in our Sept. 30 – Oct. 13, 2026 print edition. Check out the edition online here and find where you can get a print edition near you here.

When BLINK returns this October, Northern Kentucky University students won’t be keeping their artwork confined to classrooms and gallery walls. 

Through a partnership with the Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK), their designs will hit the streets of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, where BLINK attendees will see them front and center on a bus transformed into a moving piece of public art.

The biennial festival returns Oct. 8-11, bringing large-scale light, projection and interactive art installations to Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.

The project, “Beyond the Bridge,” is a collaboration between NKU’s School of the Arts (SOTA) and TANK. It will feature 35,000 LED lights, video projections, cameras, original sound and sculptural elements.

The exhibit invites the audience to interact with the artwork. Video projections will show live camera feeds of viewers from the other side of the bus, while animated LED lights and sound add another layer to the experience. The result is an installation that responds and reacts to the people experiencing it.

“Beyond the Bridge” is not NKU, SOTA and TANK’s first collaboration during BLINK. In 2024, students redesigned a TANK bus for the festival’s opening parade, creating wearable, light-up costumes that became part of a moving, performative sculpture.

This year, about 10 students are leading the creative team, with an additional big group of students and faculty mentors involved throughout the process. The students joined the project in March 2026 and began brainstorming what they wanted to create.

For Elle Chenault, an NKU visual communication design student and one of the project’s lead designers, the project is an opportunity to take what she’s learned in the classroom and put it on a much bigger stage, both artistically and in a leadership role.

“It’s way different than my coursework,” Chenault said. “I’m learning so much. It’s really exciting to be a part of the project.”

The project has reinforced Chenault’s confidence in her decision to pursue graphic design.

“I’ve known since the fifth grade that I wanted to be in graphic design, and it still hasn’t changed yet. I’ve known forever this is what I wanted to do,” Chenault said.

For Savannah Koch, a studio arts major at NKU, the project has brought a different perspective to the process of creating art, one focused on the people who will experience it.

Koch serves as the project’s production assistant lead and sculptor and has been working primarily on the sculpture side, including building the bridge piers and helping with measurements.

“I’ve done larger sculptures before, but nothing of this scale,” Koch said. “I’ve only done stuff for me or for a class; I’ve never done something that serves the community or other people. That’s something I’ve really taken out of this experience — giving back to the community.”

The experience, she said, has changed how she thinks about the role art can play in our community.

The bridge-inspired elements are meant to represent the connections between Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky and the bridges that link the two sides of the Ohio River. For Koch, that connection is something she hopes attendees recognize when they encounter the installation.

“I hope they walk away feeling a sense of pride about our community,” Koch said. “And I think a lot of times when we’re passing across these bridges, we don’t realize how monumental and amazing this connection we have between these two areas, these two states and these two cities.”

The project has given students an opportunity to work across many facets of producing public art. Lead students were hired and compensated to continue developing the installation over the summer through virtual and in-person collaboration.

Candice van Loveren Geis, head of the Art & Design program in NKU’s School of the Arts and a teaching professor of art education, is leading the BLINK team alongside the students and faculty mentors.

Geis said the students have taken on responsibilities that go far beyond creating the artwork, giving them experience with the practical and professional sides of producing a large-scale public project.

“It’s more like being junior designers and project managers. They’re getting to know how to manage supplying, supply distribution, and ordering of materials in a larger budget than they’re used to with individual projects,” Geis said.

Geis said opportunities like BLINK align with NKU’s emphasis on giving undergraduate students professional experience before graduation, allowing them to build resumes, develop industry skills and gain exposure through one of the region’s largest arts festivals.

“(The students) are really stepping up as professionals and making me confident that once they graduate, they’ll be able to make their way as working creatives in the region,” Geis said.

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