Street, Lights, People
More than 2,500 participants from 85 groups will shine a light on cultural heritage, identity and pride, the Cincinnati region, and our connections as humans throughout space and time during the BLINK parade on Thursday, Oct. 13.
The parade steps off at 7:30 pm, and participants will light up Fifth Street from Broadway to Elm streets, with a special Parade Finale near Fifth and Elm.
Parade Torchbearers
For the first time, the parade features local TorchBearers, nominated by the community, that will be carrying glowing BLINK torches 10 Torchbearers were chosen by a committee:
Will from Make-A-Wish
Kristen Schlotmann
Toilynn O’Neal Turner
Lee Turner
Jo Martin
Ian & Jessica Orr
Gary Dangel
Charlotte Reed
Sherry Hughes
Isaac Wright
The parade is the official kickoff to BLINK™, the nation’s largest light, art, and projection mapping experience. Sitting at the crossroads of innovative art and new technology, BLINK embodies the spirit of world-building, connecting artists who craft their own unique environments within the Cincinnati cityscape.
This free, four-night event runs from 7 to 11 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 13 through Sunday, Oct. 16.
With more than 100 installations and projections, it will hard, though not impossible, to see everything at BLINK. This year, events are broken into five zones, spanning 30 blocks from Seventh Street in Covington to McMicken Avenue. So you could do a little more than a zone a night and try to do it all.
But if you want to capture the spirit of the event and wander through all of the art and events, we’ve picked a few highlights in each zone to act as a guide.
COVINGTON
In The Middle
by Antaless Visual Design
Mother Of God Church, 119 W. Sixth St.
Through the use of lights and shadows, the expansion of time and space, the multiplication of objects, the application of physical/mathematical laws, the project appears as a continuous succession of ideas that pursue the logic of reasoning and at the same time the logic of the imagination.
Arcade of Light
by Kemper Sauce Studios
Madison Ave. and W. Fifth Street
Find an interactive collection of retro style games built on the latest in microcontroller technology. Each piece is designed to be fun and approachable, with an exaggerated scale that imparts a sense of childlike wonder. The installation draws on the unique experience of the ARCADE: where undiscovered worlds live behind blinking neon lights and a new friend may be just a quarter away.
Cinemagic
by Spotted Yeti Media
Madison Ave and Sixth St
With endless entertainment at your fingertips, it’s often a quest to find just the right thing to watch. CINEMAGIC takes you on a journey through worlds influenced by film and television masterpieces. With a touch of whimsy and magic, watch as Ms. W. Panes navigates her streaming options searching for the perfect escape to a world of make believe.
Drawing inspiration from the building’s geometric exterior, CINEMAGIC transforms physical architecture through touchscreen navigation, opening portals to imagination.
Drone Show Viewing Area – Presented by CVG Airport
Madison Ave. at the Riverfront
The Eyes Up Drone Show – Presented by Altafiber will be visible from both sides of the river. Show times are Thursday, 9 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.; Friday through Sunday, 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.
THE BANKS
Eyes Up Drone Show – Presented by Altafiber
Smale Park
Show times Thursday, 9 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.; Friday through Sunday, 8 p.m. and 10 p.m
The BLINK Drone Light highlights the Suspension Bridge, using the Roebling as the back drop for the nightly shows. The show includes 300 drones for an approximately 10-minute show with a sequence of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) operating in harmony.
The Banks Zone is made possible by P&G, extending its relationship that has been in place since BLINK’s inception in 2017.
“The P&G Zone is the welcome mat for BLINK greeting attendees from the highways and the bridges alike. It’s so critical for us to make a great first impression for BLINK attendees and we couldn’t do that without the partnership with P&G,” says BLINK co-founder Andrew Salzbrun.
The Golden Garden at The Black Music Walk Of Fame
by PRG
Andrew J. Brady Music Center, 25 Race St.
The Golden Garden at the new Cincinnati Music Black Walk of Fame celebrates the greatness that has risen from our city and an appreciation for the greatness that lives within each of us.
Visit for an expansive experience within the BLINK footprint that invites guests to gather, bask in the golden glow of their light, and lounge together under the stars. Within the footprint, you’ll also find the light-based installations Parastella and fences.
Enchanted Forest
by Kolar Design
Smale Riverfront Park
Wander into the Enchanted Forest, explore the secrets of the fairy trees, and discover a magical moonlit forest clearing! The Enchanted Forest at Schmidlapp Lawn is a place where you can dance, listen, relax and celebrate community throughout Blink 2022.
Fences
by Immerge Interactive
Smale Riverfront Park
Fences is an interactive light installation, where patterns are generated by the motion of foot traffic along a custom LED display. The 72-foot long and 7-foot high artwork creates lighting effects through color, shape, and brightness across 9,000 individually controlled LEDs. As viewers walk along the path, video tracking creates patterns that are displayed alongside them. Over time, the interactions layer to create generative patterns that visualize the current viewers and the history of those who have visited the space.
CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT
Care Bear
by Michael Coppage with Jason Snell and Adam Wicktora
Walnut and Seventh streets
Care Bear is an adaptation of Michael Coppage’s Black Box Project. The project will address current events and topics of importance in a nuanced, artistic way, celebrate Cincinnati and it's people, places and things. the goal of the project is to turn a 55ft Black man into a teddy bears, showing the softer, funnier, side and grounding him in his humanity. This extension of the Black Box project goes interactive by adding animated elements by Jason Snell and Adam Wicktora.
Fifth Third Bank Presents ElectriFi
Fountain Square, Fifth and Vine streets
Energy makes our lives better. It is all around us, yet we can be limited by it—by the finite amount we have and how to cleanly produce it. But not today. Today we celebrate our ability to generate energy from sustainable sources such as the sun while we reflect upon the opportunities this creates for future generations.
Featuring The ARRAY, A B!G ART work by:
Paul Magnuson
Devin Giles
Laura Anzola
Mathew Waddell
Chris Depape
Stephen Rhoades
Fifth Third Bank
Mural 84.51
by Tristan Eaton
At 18, LA-born artist Tristan Eaton designed his first toy for Fisher-Price, and quickly became a driving force in the world of ‘Art Toys.’ Upon graduating from the School of Visual Arts in New York, Eaton revolutionized the art toy works as the founding creative director of the legendary KidRobot. Shortly after, he founded Thunderdog Studios, where he amassed a roster of high profile clients including Nike and Universal. In the years since, Eaton has become one of the most prominent international muralists. He earned the coveted job of rendering the classic Universal Monsters at Universal Studios and an elusive licensing deal with Marvel, kicking off the partnership with a limited run of a Marvel’s The Avengers fine art print series that sold out in just five minutes. His endeavors have also ventured into the metaverse. Eaton’s first ever animated paintings combine spray paint--one of Eaton’s most prolific mediums--and digital art--which has become wildly popular thanks to the NFT Renaissance. Eaton’s work can be seen in the Museum of Modern Art's (MoMA) permanent collection as well as the Cooper Hewitt Museum. Most recently, the Long Beach Museum Art (LBMA) hosted a 25-year career retrospective of his work.
The Manifold Potential
by Lightborne
Contemporary Arts Center
A celebratory exploration of possibilities; how the alchemies of light, sound and time can be wielded to alter the perceived world, using the iconic CAC architecture as our inspiration and canvas. We’re drawn to the anamorphic potential of animated light colliding with the structure, augmenting the perceptions of viewers with a revelry of vibrant animations that explore the lines, surfaces and volumes of the building, letting the architectural forms lead us on a journey through the manifold variations hidden within.
Frisch’s Mobile Roller Rink
During BLINK, Frisch’s Mobile Roller Rink will be popping up at Court Street Plaza, located between Vine and Walnut streets. The rink has nearly 9,000 square feet of space. Walk-ups are also welcome, cashless payments only or make a reservation.
The Frisch's Mobile Roller Rink is operated by 3CDC.
Asianati Night Market
23 W. Court St.
The first ever Asianati Night Market brings the tastes, sights, and sounds of classic Asian night markets to Court Street (between Race & Vine)!
Asian street food stalls with curated "Night Market" menu items
Family-friendly glow-in-the-dark activities & games
Rows of iconic Night Market lanterns
Asian-inspired art & light installations
Night markets have been the cornerstone of many Asian cultures for centuries symbolizing a vibrant, diverse and inclusive community experience with delicious, accessible late-night street food.
Sponsored by P&G and Frost Brown Todd.
OVER-THE-RHINE
The Inside Out
by Lightborne
As active participants in the audio visual design field, we strive to make the impossible possible: to provide our audiences with an escape from a world of limitations, and aggravations
The engines of creativity contained within our walls are ready once more to create a shared experience with our city. Join us as the worlds we’ve created break free from the concrete confines of our physical space and transform our street and neighborhood.
TIMISIEN
Architects of Air
Ziegler Park, 1322 Sycamore St.
The luminarium is accessible to wheelchair users and people with mobility difficulties. Visitors remove their shoes before entering an airlock. Once inside they can wander freely or just lay back and enjoy the ambiance of the structure.
Hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. $15 for adults, $10 for children 2-10, under age 2 are free. Tickets can be purchased on-site or fast passes are available at zieglerpark.org.
Mr. Dynamite
by Kyle Eli Ebersole
James Brown is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians of the 20th century.
Brown spent the formative years of his career on the Cincinnati-based King Records label producing some of his earliest hits and providing inspiration and guidance to a generation of musicians. Highlighting the vibrant mural created by Artist Jenny Ustick and Artworks. This projection sends you on a musical journey that honors the legacy of Mr. Dynamite.
Disco Ball Y’all
by Disco Ball Y’all
Elm and 12th streets
The current Guinness World Record for largest disco ball is found on the Isle of Wight in England. This ball was confirmed as measuring nearly 33 feet in September of 2014.
Disco Ball Y’all’s vision is to create a disco ball that measures 67 feet, more than doubling the current world record. This landmark would then be gifted to the city of Louisville. Why, you ask? Here's why:
Louisville is the world's largest producer of disco balls.
This disco ball will exemplify the energy, innovation, passion, and wonderful weirdness that we know exists in our great city.
It is our duty as Americans to ensure that this record is broken, and the title brought to its rightful home in the good ole U.S.A.
I Am Ezz
by Jason Snell with Jim Cunningham and Citoak
1537 Republic St.
On a canvas created for ArtWorks’ 100th mural, “I Am Ezz” is an audio/visual anthem dedicated to local legend, Ezzard Charles.
In 12 verses of spoken word layered atop a record from the 1961 album, “Ezz-thetics”, “I Am Ezz” follows our unlikely hero on his epic journey from Jim Crow South through Cincinnati’s West End to an against-all-odds rise as champion of the world—inside the ring and out.
FINDLAY MARKET
The Findlay Market Zone will be home to a number of new murals which will remain a part of the city’s artistic landscape for years to come.
Sister City
by Jenny Ustick & Sean P. Hafer
Dunlap Street
Sister City is a visual love letter to the people, history, and culture of Ukraine.
Artist team Jenny Roesel Ustick and Sean P. Hafer are University of Cincinnati DAAP Professors and active artists and designers who have teamed up to create a mural and projection mapped animation for BLINK Cincinnati 2022.
This mural, sponsored by the Cincinnati–Kharkiv Sister City Partnership, Cincy4Ukraine, and the College of DAAP at the University of Cincinnati was created to remind us of the strength and beauty of Ukrainian culture and the enduring friendships between the people of Kharkiv and Cincinnati. Sean P. Hafer and his students have created projection mapped animations to be projected onto the permanent mural.
The DogFish
by DogFish Crew
The DogFish, a historic Burning Man Art Car or “Mutant Vehicle”, has participated in the art and culture event for 23 years.
Burning Man is a week long global gathering in the Nevada desert where we come together to create a “participative temporary metropolis” based around art, music and community on the “playa”. The DogFish has returned to Cincinnati, and is creating a place to gather, dance and share some of its magic and mysticism with BLINK community.
WHO DEY!
by Lindz & Lamb
Hear that Bengal growlin’ mean and angry
Here he comes a prowlin’ lean and hungry
An offensive brute
Run, pass or boot
And defensively he's rough, tough
Cincinnati Bengals
That’s the team we're going to cheer to victory
Touchdown Bengals get some points upon that board
And win a game for Cincinnati