Blink murals leave a lasting mark on Cincinnati
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The colorful "Mr. Dynamite" mural of James Brown, created by artist Jenny Ustick and ArtWorks, brightens the corner of Main and East Liberty streets in Over-the-Rhine. Photo: Casey Weldon/Axios
Blink may be best known for its dazzling lights and projections, but some of its most colorful creations stay after the festival ends.
By the numbers: This year's festival added more than 20 murals, including 10 around Findlay Market and 11 in Covington, as part of its Market Walls and Madison Walls collections.
- Nearly 80 murals were created during Blink's first four editions, according to executive director Leslie Mooney.
- The major concentration is up near the fast-developing Market District in Over-the-Rhine.
What they're saying: Mooney calls the murals a "too well-kept and unintentional secret" of Blink, which was designed to be a mural festival from the beginning.
- "Those are the leave-behinds," she tells Axios. "Those are the things that last forever."
The big picture: This year's artists included Argentine duo Medianeras, Spanish wildlife-inspired muralist Dulk and Australian graffiti artist Sofles.
- Their work adds to a regional collection that includes more than 400 murals created by 1001 Colors, formerly ArtWorks.
- Cincinnati ranked second nationally for street art in USA Today's 2026 10Best Readers' Choice Awards, behind Philadelphia.
Zoom in: Greater Cincinnati artist Chase Melendez spent 12- to 13-hour days painting a colorful geometric mural at Covington's future City Hall building, navigating an active construction site.
- He didn't finish until midway through the festival, and his mural wasn't part of the projection displays.
- But that's OK, Melendez says. He's already looking ahead to the completed courtyard and future iterations of Blink.
The lasting impression: Melendez says public art helps imbue neighborhoods with a distinct identity.
- "The lights go away, projection goes away, and then we have these little artifacts that are around the city that you can't find anywhere else."