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CINCINNATI’S NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT SOURCE | SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 13, 2026 | FREE

Cincinnati’s BLINK started as an experiment in imagining the city’s future. Nearly a decade later, it’s become one of the region’s defining events. By Kane Mitten

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Barnes & Noble acquires remaining Joseph-Beth Booksellers locations

“Mary Poppins Jr.” launches at The Children’s Theatre

THE FORMER CRESTVIEW HILLS LOCATION OF JOSEPH-BETH. PHOTO PROVIDED | JOSEPH-BETH BOOKSELLERS

Staff Report

ational bookstore chain Barnes & Noble has purchased the remaining two locations of local independent bookseller Joseph-Beth. The remaining two Joseph-Beth bookstores and bistros were located at Rookwood Pavilion and The Mall at Lexington Green in Lexington, Kentucky. “This decision was made for the continued success of JosephBeth Booksellers. For 40 years, Joseph-Beth has been more than a bookstore. It has been a gathering place for readers, families, local authors, teachers and neighbors,” said Joseph-Beth Booksellers owner and Chairman Robert Langley in a statement. “In honoring its importance to the communities its two stores serve and to support its future longevity, this decision was necessary.” Both stores will retain their “independent identity,” a statement reads, and both Brontë Bistros inside the current locations will remain open. Barnes & Noble said that both stores’ booksellers, author event team, community and event programming will remain with the company; now, however, Barnes & Noble’s resources and modernized operations will support Joseph-Beth Booksellers’ brand and ongoing success. “Joseph-Beth Booksellers has a storied history and wonderful bookstores, and we are very pleased to ensure their continuity,” said Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt. “We especially look forward to welcoming the booksellers of these two distinctive bookstores into the company.”

“MARY POPPINS JR.” AT THE CHILDREN’S THEATRE. PHOTO PROVIDED | THE CHILDREN’S THEATRE

Staff Report

he Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati, or TCT, will open its 107th season with an allnew production of Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s “Mary Poppins Jr.” From Oct. 9 to 25, audiences can head to the Emery Theater in Over-the-Rhine for a new adaptation of the Broadway and West End hit. The musical includes favorite Sherman Brothers songs such as “A Spoonful of Sugar,” “Feed the Birds,” “Step in Time” and “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” along with new songs by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. “Mary Poppins is a story generations know and love, and the Emery Theater gives us the opportunity to tell it with an entirely new sense of scale and wonder,” said TCT President and CEO Kim Kern. “From the moment Mary flies into Cherry Tree Lane, audiences will be surrounded by the music, movement and theatrical magic that make this show so special. It is a practically perfect way to open our 107th season, and we cannot wait to welcome families back to the Emery!” The production promises “colorful characters, an irresistible score, highflying theatrical effects and the Emery Theater’s immersive stage technology” for an all-ages show that brings the unforgettable Banks family and the magic of Cherry Tree Lane to the stage.

THE CAST OF “MARY POPPINS JR.” AT THE CHILDREN’S THEATRE. PHOTO PROVIDED | THE CHILDREN’S THEATRE

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Cincinnati’s BLINK started as an experiment in imagining the city’s future. Nearly a decade later, it’s become one of the region’s defining events. By Kane Mitten

t’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 experience, returns to Cincinnati on Oct. 8. Over 2 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-theRhine and the Central Business District closed to traffic as people walked around and experienced several interactive art installations. It was an immediate hit, gathering 1 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 kickoff parade that scatters viewers across the city. Instead, an Olympics-esque opening ceremony titled ‘Ready, Set, BLINK!’ will

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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; 10 new murals will go up around Findlay Market, and 10 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

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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 million 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 onlyin-Cincinnati experience. “Celebrating our history is super important. Having the first professional baseball team, great. Having the longestrunning 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.”

A PRIOR BLINK FESTIVAL. PHOTO PROVIDED | FRANK D. YOUNG/MELANIN & HALIDE

A PRIOR BLINK FESTIVAL. PHOTO PROVIDED | CINCINNATI REGIONAL CHAMBER

A PRIOR BLINK FESTIVAL. PHOTO PROVIDED | FRANK D. YOUNG/MELANIN & HALIDE

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KEY

Official BLINK Merch Shop

Projections

Murals

Food & Drinks

Restrooms

Light Installations

Unique Attractions

Indoor restrooms and facilities

Oasis Station

Hike Departure

FINDLAY MARKET ZONE

1 2

3 4 1

FINDLAY ST

14 LIBE

18 HOSPITALITY ZONE

READY. SET. BLINK!

OPENING CEREMONY ON CENTRAL PKWY 4-9 PM THURS 10/8 DRONE SHOW 8:30 PM

RTY

E AV

N KE MIC Mc

VINE ST

RACE ST

ELM ST

CENTRAL PKWY

TQL STADIUM

10 11

3 Mural Dulk

FINDLAY MARKET ZONE

4 Mural Sofles

11 Pastel

Alley Jam Mural Series 5 Multiple Artists

12 In-Can-Descent

Mural

CCAD X Natalia Rak Columbus College of Art & Design (CCAD)

14 Desiderium Liv Cassinelli

Cincinnati Skatepark

WASHINGTON PARK

MAIN ST

PLUM ST

9TH ST

44 45 50 FOUNTAIN SQUARE 51

DRONE SHOWS FRI, SAT, SUN 8 PM & 10 PM 67 COVINGTON LANDING

ROEBLING SUSPENSION BRIDGE

CLAY WADE BAILEY BRIDGE

OHIO RIVER

GREAT AMERICAN BALL PARK

B A R RY

72 71

L A R K I N WAY

THE BANKS ZONE

Oasis Station: Cincinnati &

Reality, Theory, and Everything

51 Canvas

Fifth Third Bank, B!gArt

Shape of Becoming, 52 Light Falls 37 The Remembering – Felix Frank, Ana Tomashvili, Mindscape Studios

VIGAS

& Edie Harper Exhibit 53 Charlie at the Mercantile Immsersive (Reservations Required) Third St Experience

54 The Great Paper Massacre, Vince Fraser, Kasumi

40 In Light of Us The Mz. Icar Collective

55 Iceberg Trail

Letter from Martha 41 The DecideKit

56 Crescendo

Century of “yes” 42 AGreg D’Amico

57 Allium

Oasis Station:

43 Aronoff Center

LeMonde Studio Kyle Eli Ebersole, Ian Molitors Everything Good Studio

58 Mycelium Network

Custom Fibre Optics Ltd

THE BANKS ZONE 60 The B!G TV B!gArt 61 Millennial Pink Mike Stasny

Voyage to Atlantis Fashion

62 Show – Asha AMA

64 Maestro

LeMonde Studio

65 Y.e.l.l.e.d

OneNKY CENTER 73

Dan Shields

35 Hamilton County Public Library 50 in Between – Justin Boh Resonance 36 Smash Studio

47 Funk Glasses

Mapping Experience 49 Corner Chaske Haverkos, Ke Jyun Wu

63 BLINK Sculpture

THE ASCENT

Tristan Eaton – UC CCM

Night Market 34 Asianati Asianati

Beamhacker

2ND ST

Official BLINK Merch Shop at Contemporary Arts Center

48 String Theory for Dummies 2.0

59 The Hive

HOSPITALITY ZONE

Oasis Station:

44 Contemporary Arts Center

Black Art Speaks, Michael A. Coppage, Chris Glenn

Radius Concepts

RIVERSIDE DR

RIVERCENTER BLVD

PRESENTED BY

: bloom 33 muon Christo Squier

39 Psychedelic Car Wash

SMALE RIVERFRONT 70 PARK 67

BROADWAY

Susan Kosti, Filip Roca, Daniel Rossa

This is Loop

Entertainment 38 4Wall 4Wall lighting

SYCAMORE ST

MAIN ST

PAYCOR STADIUM

The American Building

46 Lighting Design & Technology 31 Inter-sect Spencer Sterling, Structurals

with support from

60 FREEDOM CENTER HOSPITALITY ZONE 61 63

FREEDOM WAY

Chaske Haverkos, 1001 Colors

2ND ST

27 Experience

– Chris Glenn, 30 Commonality Bern Iseli, Josh Hill, Zach Parker, 45

BLINK at Lytle Park

WALNUT ST

FORT WASHINGTON WAY

26 Art Academy

Silent Partners Studio, Strangeloop

32 Geist

VINE ST

RACE ST

ELM ST

PLUM ST

75 S

54 3RD ST

Polka-DOTober

Music Hall Experience

Code 29 Concrete Derek Abbott

4TH ST

75 N

Weissman (School for Creative and Performing Arts)

8TH ST

5TH ST

Scott Pennington

FOUNTAIN ZONE

BROADWAY ST

46 ELM ST PAZA 47 48

– Onda Studio 25 Imagine Awaken the Art – Giovanni

FOUNTAIN ZONE

FIRST FINANCIAL CONVENTION CENTER

19 Jacob’s Wall

Sew Valley

Oasis Station: The Children’s

6TH ST 49

24 The Blinkatorium

21 Jonas Denzel, Brett Bolton,

7TH ST

75 N

51 Mural - Illuminated 18 Insane 4Wall Entertainment

28 Theatre of Cincinnati

32 33

39 38 GARFIELD PL 40

23 Threaded Light

HOSPITALITY ZONE

9TH ST

BLM MURAL 8TH ST 37

Oasis Station:

22 Music Hall

Energy Activation 17 Monster Monster Energy

In 20 Welcome Xavier University Art Department

PRESENTED BY

16 Activation

Parker Heyl

OTR ZONE 27

CENTRAL PKWY

WALNUT ST

VINE ST

RACE ST

ELM ST

CENTRAL PKWY

12TH ST

Mural

OTR ZONE

13TH ST

COURT ST

Mural

Lawrence Malott FOREALISM

14TH ST

Keep Cincinnati Beautiful

13 James Bullough

15 Drew Merritt

14TH ST

Mural

9 Max Sansing Mural

15TH ST 20

21 MUSIC HALL 22

Mural

10 Mariela Ajras

6 Light Ship

PRESENTED BY

8 Jim Tucker, Frank Young

Medianeras

9 ELDER ST

FINDLAY MARKET

AfterImage Kyle Eli Ebersole

2 Mural

5 6

Book Paid Hike at: urban-hikers.com/ blink-walks

Kemper Sauce Studios

PRESENTED BY

Cities No. 1, 2, and 3 66 Future Cedric Michael Cox, Studio 181 Brent Keltch

Drone Show Viewing Area

67 Shows Fri, Sat, Sun, 8 & 10 PM 68 FloWeR PoWeR Aérosculpture

69 Dreamscape

Lindsay Glatz, William Nemitoff

Downtown Cincy 70 Skate (Roller Skaters)

71 Interlace

Looking Up Arts

72 Spiral Bound

JP Jackson, Brian Havener

3RD ST 74

4TH ST

86 87 90

PIK

T ES

6TH ST

7TH ST

Center Lighting 73 OneNKY 4Wall Entertainment

COVINGTON ZONE

Glow Pavilion 74 The dEcORa

75 SomniUs

illumaphonium

Mural 76 Gera 1 Mural

77 Wayne Horse

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8TH ST

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85 Beyond the Bridge

Northern Kentucky University Mural

86 Elléna Lourens Little Thing 87 Every Inka Kendzia Mural

79 Kinetic Perspective

89 Lumifolia Jessica Wolf, Paper Acorn

Tobacco Alley Mural Series

80 10 Artists

The Flipside

90 Sean Van Praag Masquerade

81 Light Lane

91 Vamos Animation

Mural

Theater: 92 Madison Once and Future

LeMonde Studio

BLINK MAP. PROVIDED BY CINCINNATI REGIONAL CHAMBER.

Leslie Epsztein, Jérémie Bellot, Jérémy Oury

88 Chase Melendez

Juan Fuentes

8TH ST

of God Church 84 Mother Experience

78 L1ght Graff1t1 Make0vers 0H10M1ke

PRESENTED BY

Show Viewing Area 83 Connected 67 Drone Shows Fri, Sat, Sun, 8 & 10 PM Koros Design

GARRARD ST

GREENUP ST

5TH ST

COVINGTON ZONE

SCOTT BLVD

MADISON AVE

WASHINGTON ST

JOHNSON ST

76 77

82 Polina Soloveichik

Miami University

The local artists powering BLINK By Kane Mitten

LINK would be nothing without the work of the countless Cincinnatians who have participated in the festival throughout the years. Here are several different artists from this year’s festival sharing how they’re helping to light up the Queen City. For extended profiles with all 16 artists we spoke to, check out CityBeat’s website.

Dan Shields

DAN SHIELDS IN THE MIDDLE OF TAKING DOWN HIS INSTALLATION “STRING THEORY” AT BLINK 2022. PHOTO PROVIDED | DAN SHIELDS

- Where will your installation be located? Elm Street Plaza, near Fifth 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 custombuilt 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

“STRING THEORY” AT BLINK 2022. PHOTO PROVIDED | DAN SHIELDS

to bring international artists to exhibit incredible work while they also crosspollinate 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

BLACK ART SPEAKS CEO ALANDES POWELL. PHOTO PROVIDED | 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 St., 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 Oct. 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 Oct. 1, and the artists will paint the mural Oct. 2–8, leading to its unveiling on Oct. 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.

THE ORIGINAL ‘BLACK LIVES MATTER!’ MURAL IN DOWNTOWN CINCINNATI. PHOTO PROVIDED | ALANDES POWELL CONTINUES ON PAGE 10

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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

BRENT KELTCH AND CEDRIC MICHAEL COX, CREATORS OF “POLYPHONIC PYRAMID.” PHOTO PROVIDED | CEDRIC MICHAEL COX, BRENT KELTCH

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 [Cedric] 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 10

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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.

Jessica Wolf

- Where will your installation be

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.

Katie Davis

JESSICA WOLF, CREATOR OF “LUMIFOLIA.” PHOTO PROVIDED | JESSICA WOLF

located? Seventh 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 24hour 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

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THE CREATORS OF INCANDESCENT: KATIE DAVIS, CLAIRE BRYSON AND KENNEDY CANTRELL. PHOTO BY BROOK LEHENBAUER | PROVIDED BY KATIE DAVIS

- Where will your installation be located? Corner of Elm and Green streets, 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!

Frank D. Young & Jim Tucker

FRANK D. YOUNG. PHOTO BY MIKE MITCHUM

JIM TUCKER. PHOTO BY FRANK D. YOUNG.

- 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-theRhine who make the area so incredibly special. It is extremely important to Jim and I [Frank] 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. CONTINUES ON PAGE 12

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Napoleon Maddox

NAPOLEON MADDOX. PHOTO PROVIDED | NAPOLEON MADDOX.

- Where will your installation be located? Corner of Race and Third streets. - Briefly describe your installation. The title of my installation is “I Am a Submarine For My Dreams.” It explores an imaginary world two rivers; the Doubs in Besançon, France, and the Ohio River in Cincinnati. In between the two 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 three brand-new songs from the upcoming album “1968” by Sorg & Napoleon Maddox. - How many people were involved? Myself, Napoleon Maddox: conception, painting, collage, writing and vocal performance/recording. Robin Perrey: animation and mapping. Sorg: composition and 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 three 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 the pleasure of working with Nouvelles

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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.

Chaske Haverkos

CHASKE HAVERKOS. PHOTO PROVIDED | 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 five-minute projectionmapped 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,

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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 topnotch. BLINK is where I first projectionmapped, 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

ASHA AMA BIAS-DANIELS. PHOTO BY CLAUDIA HERSHNER | PROVIDED BY 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 fashionforward environment featuring ASHA AMA couture collection and 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 and 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, crystalembellished 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 and Alicia Reece for all of the support to bring such a massive project to life.

NATURALLY WELCOMING. Step into 1,800 acres of breathtaking beauty and a community that meets you exactly where you are. From friendly faces to trails for every age and ability, discover a space where everyone belongs. Start planning your visit at CincyNature.org/visit or scan the QR code today!

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Northern Kentucky University students bring interactive art installation to BLINK through TANK partnership

RENDERING OF “BEYOND THE BRIDGE,” AN INTERACTIVE BLINK INSTALLATION DEVELOPED BY NKU’S SCHOOL OF THE ARTS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TANK. RENDERING BY MAREN CARPENTER FEARING

By Braden White

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

hen 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, or 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 NKY.

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The project, “Beyond the Bridge,” is a collaboration between NKU’s School of the Arts, or 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,

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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 SOTA 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.

RENDERING OF “BEYOND THE BRIDGE,” AN INTERACTIVE BLINK INSTALLATION DEVELOPED BY NKU’S SCHOOL OF THE ARTS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TANK. RENDERING BY MAREN CARPENTER FEARING

ARTS & CULTURE

Musical Time Travel: The Sixties Show

“THE SIXTIES SHOW” WITH PROJECTIONS. PHOTO PROVIDED | CINCINNATI ARTS ASSOCIATION

By Rick Pender

he 1960s was an era of fondly remembered tumult with an iconic musical soundtrack. Whether you lived then or simply love the songs it spawned, you should head to downtown Cincinnati’s Aronoff Center on Friday evening, Oct. 16, for an awardwinning theatrical production: “The Sixties Show.” Craig O’Keefe, the show’s co-founder, producer and artistic director, calls his show, “the greatest 1960s musical recreation show on Earth. We’re not part of the tribute world. Our show isn’t nostalgia. It’s a transmission — history at full volume.” Offering authentic music backed by archival video footage and storytelling, the immersive performance transports audiences back to the music, the politics and the pop culture of that momentous decade. O’Keefe and co-creator Tom Licameli, veterans of the New York and Los Angeles music scenes, created the show as an offBroadway theatrical production more than a decade ago. In a recent phone interview with CityBeat, O’Keefe recalled early engagements in small clubs — just two or three attendees in their very first outing — that now fill larger clubs and midsized theaters across the United States. Still building thanks to popular demand, “The Sixties Show” now routinely plays

to sold-out venues from coast to coast. The stop at the Aronoff is the show’s first visit to Cincinnati. It has often had return engagements in many U.S. cities. A longer run could happen soon in New York or Chicago, and a trip to London is in the works for 2027. O’Keefe called his show “a time trip back to the 1960s with live, note-fornote recreations of music from the era. There’s no recorded backing, just our own voices and our own musical abilities. It is decidedly not simply a nostalgia tribute act.” “The Sixties Show” is anchored by a powerhouse lineup of six musicians, including O’Keefe, who serves as the show’s musical director and plays bass. He has toured with Stone Temple Pilots, Oasis, Sublime, Weezer, Daryl Hall, The Smashing Pumpkins, Dave Edmunds and Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. He played bass for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees The Rascals on their 60th Anniversary Tour. O’Keefe joked, “I was barely out of diapers at the end of the ’60s.” All the show’s musicians were, in fact, born in that decade, but each one has deep experience with legendary musicians including Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, The Who, The Beach Boys, Bruce Springsteen, Steely Dan and the Saturday Night Live Band. Joining O’Keefe for the show are cofounder Licameli, guitar and bass; Jim

Boggia, guitar and ukulele; Kevin Bents, keyboards, guitar and bass; Jeff Miller, keyboards; and drummer Scott Devours. Most of them also provide the show’s vocals. The Sixties Show setlist includes hits by The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Doors, The Kinks, The Byrds, Cream, The Rolling Stones, Bee Gees and The Dave Clark Five. O’Keefe’s main musical hero from the era is Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys. “He did the whole thing, the sounds, the arrangements. He did it all.” One of O’Keefe’s favorite albums is The Beach Boys’ “Pet Sounds.” He also admires “Strange Days” by The Doors, “Village Green” by The Kinks and “Led Zeppelin II.” “We do the great ’60s songs note-fornote, with guitars and amps from the era along with our period multimedia and light show. We put together a great quality show. Our band members are really into this. We don’t play any song we don’t love and do great. We kill the songs we do,” he said. “The Sixties Show” band uses no backing tracks, no pre-recorded samples, no pre-recorded audio of any kind. Every number is played entirely live. The musicians use 1960s vintage guitars, keyboards and other instruments to match the original recordings. “We sound just like the vinyls for our high-energy trip to the ’60s,” O’Keefe said.

The set, backed by multiple projection screens, resembles an old TV studio, scattered with nostalgic items such as a VW Beetle and a Microbus, an image of an Apollo astronaut space suit. Attired in “Mod” styles to underscore the show’s time-travel aspect, the performers use narration to sustain momentum. “We keep it light, never get political,” O’Keefe explained. It’s a chance to learn about — or recall — the ’60s, a great deal of knowledge in a very entertaining way. Audience response has been overwhelmingly positive from Boomers who lived through the era as well as more recent fans from generations X, Y and Z. They all describe the show as an emotional, transporting trip back in time. O’Keefe pointed out, “People are amazed that we’re actually playing live music — every single note we play is done live. We recreate the intricate harmonies and melodies, every note is correct. We love this decade.” He underscored, “This is not a nostalgia tribute act. It’s a concert, it’s time-travel … and it’s unforgettable.” The show is part of the Cincinnati Arts Association’s “CAA Presents” 2026-27 Season. Tickets: www.CincinnatiArts.org or 513-621-2787. (Group sales of 10 or more should call 513-977-4155.)

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ARTS & CULTURE

Remember Cincinnati’s turtle lamps? One local woodworker has replicas for sale

ONE OF CHRIS SPINNEY’S REPLICA TURTLE LAMPS. PHOTO PROVIDED | CHRIS SPINNEY

CHRIS SPINNEY’S CAT NEXT TO SEVERAL REPLICA TURTLE LAMPS. PHOTO A STILL-EXISTING YELLOW “TURTLE LAMP.” PHOTO PROVIDED | CHRIS PROVIDED | CHRIS SPINNEY SPINNEY

By Kane Mitten

f you’re a real Cincinnati history aficionado, you probably know about the “turtle lamps” — yellow lamps that were once scattered all across the city to indicate streetcar platforms or raised islands in the hopes that drivers wouldn’t crash into a median late at night. In recent years, however, the onceubiquitous lamps have almost entirely disappeared from both public view and public knowledge. One local Cincinnatian is attempting to change all that. Chris Spinney, a furniture maker by trade and a self-proclaimed “transit nerd,” has been making replica versions of the famous lamps for a few years now due to rumors that the city stopped replacing the historical artifacts every time one gets destroyed by an errant driver. “My idea was ‘well, if we can’t replace them, but I can make them, maybe we can just keep them going indefinitely.’ A lot of people say they’ve never seen them, but I’m like, you’ve definitely driven down Central Parkway before,” he said, laughing. “In the research process, I made my own mini version of the lamp and showed it to some other transit nerd friends, and they told me I needed to sell them because people would freak out over them.” His friends were correct. After an initial run of 25 lamps at 1/4 the scale of an 16

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actual “turtle lamp” sold out immediately, Spinney has put out 25 more small lamps each month since the initial run — which, of course, also sell out almost immediately. Spinney isn’t sure when the first turtle lamp was erected in Cincinnati, as his research has led him to plenty of conflicting sources. Sometime around the 1920s and ’30s, the Milwaukee-based Line Material Company was a prominent electrical manufacturer. One of their products was beacon lights, which were commonly shaped in the form of acorns. For whatever reason, Cincinnati’s lights were different, with the first verifiable documented appearance happening in 1937. “Cincinnati got a unique shape and color for these beacon lights, and I haven’t seen them in any other city. I’ve talked to a few streetlight people who have that as their little fixation, and they say they’ve never seen anything like this in any other city,” he said. A graduate of Purcell Marian who grew up in Pleasant Ridge, he began his research out of a longing for the bygone era of decent public transit. His grandfather was an architect and his father was a carpenter, so he naturally gravitated towards the lamps. “Until 1951, Pleasant Ridge was a streetcar suburb, which is obviously something I never got to experience. But

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A STILL-EXISTING YELLOW “TURTLE LAMP” ON W MCMICKEN AVENUE. PHOTO PROVIDED | CHRIS SPINNEY

ONE OF CINCINNATI’S FAMOUS YELLOW “TURTLE LAMPS” NEXT TO ONE OF SPINNEY’S REPLICAS. PHOTO PROVIDED | CHRIS SPINNEY

it’s fascinating to me how the streetcar system worked, and how you could get around pretty much wherever you wanted,” he said. “To me, the lamps are a nice little remnant of that time. A time when I would say design felt a little more thought through. Like, yeah, we’ll take time to think of a more ornate piece of design for the average pedestrian that’s using a streetcar versus just any light from the catalog.” The biggest shock for him though, was when he finally got his hands on an actual lamp and came to a surprising realization: all of the existing turtle shell lampshades are not glass, but plastic. “When I first heard they were not replacing them, I was like, ‘well, they’re glass, they fall down, they shatter. Like, obviously, we do not have somebody making new custom glass shades for the city in 2026.’ Then I saw the real, plastic thing and was like, ‘wait, this seems doable,’” he said. “I already had a 3D printer up, and I said, well, let’s see if I can scan this lamp shade and recreate it. I was actually able to do a perfect replica model one to one.” Of course, the top request he gets from customers is for lamps that are the same size or even bigger than the original. (“They’re coming,” he says.) But although he can’t prove it, he’s convinced that the lamps were, at one point, glass — and

that’s what he truly wants to recreate. “I wouldn’t be shocked if, for a period, they were actually glass, and then they got slowly broken and replaced by plastic over the next 70 years. I’ve seen a few get knocked down and replaced, so I know the city has to have some in storage somewhere,” he said. “If we’re getting back to making them how they were maybe made originally, this is something that can last for generations. If my kids could stand under that turtle lamp that I put up, what else could you want as a designer or fabricator or builder?” In the end, though, he just wants to keep a small, obscure part of Cincinnati’s history alive. “I have quite a lot of pride in being a Cincinnatian. And so when I see a unique design object like the turtle lamp, I go, ‘Why aren’t we celebrating this? Why aren’t we proud of this? Why aren’t we thinking, ‘hey, we’re putting in streetcar stops, so why don’t we incorporate this lamp in some way since it is unique to the city?’” he said. “If they all get knocked down, they’re just gone forever … And maybe they’ll disappear from the streets in 25 years. It is what it is. But if I could have a replica in somebody’s house, or in a bar, a little wall sconce. To me, that means we’re keeping the memory going, and that’s the ultimate goal, really.”

EATS

Taste of Belgium founder to open new concept By Kane Mitten

aste of Belgium founder JeanFrançois Flechet has a new finedining concept. Jacques, which fuses Flechet’s Belgian roots with French culinary techniques, opened Sept. 22 inside Taste of Belgium’s current Rookwood location. The menu was developed by Patrick Bowling, who was most recently in charge of Le Bar a Boeuf, the French brasserie opened by Cincinnati culinary titan JeanRobert de Cavel that closed in August. It features traditional Belgian and French dishes like gougères, escargot, vol-auvent, moules au gratin, crème brûlée, and — of course — Taste of Belgium’s famous waffle, this time paired with duck confit. “I’m super excited, because … now I get to work with someone who’s super talented and can make some of these ideas a reality and execute them in a restaurant setting. We didn’t really have anyone, from a culinary standpoint, who could execute like this,” Flechet said. “I’m not a chef, you know? I mean, I’ve never run the kitchen, that’s never been my thing, but I love to work with chefs and creative people, so I’m really excited to be working with Patrick to get people to try new food.” Flechet and Bowling became friends over 20 years ago, back when Bowling was cooking upstairs at de Cavel’s restaurant Pho Paris and Flechet was in the basement making waffle dough. The two reconnected after the closure of Le Bar a Boeuf. “Annette (de Cavel) has been a really good friend for the past 26 years, and when I last went to Le Bar a Boeuf, I realized, ‘Hey, the restaurant is closing. He’s without a job. I think we can do something fun together,’” he said. “He’s now in charge of our entire culinary operations at Taste of Belgium. The two restaurants, the new concept, and at Findlay Market. For someone as creative as him, there are plenty of opportunities.” Taste of Belgium’s regular menu will remain available at Rookwood during the day, but at night, the restaurant will shift to operating as Jacques. The news comes as Taste of Belgium is at a critical juncture. Back in January, the restaurant chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy; just a few months prior, it

PATRICK BOWLING AND JEAN-FRANÇOIS FLECHET INSIDE TASTE OF BELGIUM’S ROOKWOOD LOCATION. PHOTO BY CATIE VIOX | PROVIDE BY JEAN-FRANÇOIS FLECHET

closed its first, flagship space in Over-theRhine. Eight Taste of Belgium restaurants have closed in the last two years, and only two locations remain at Rookwood and The Banks. Flechet highlighted the COVID-19 pandemic and the departure of General Electric from their office at The Banks as reasons for the brand’s economic struggles. “When GE left as the anchor tenant, we went from having 2,000 highly compensated engineers above our head to having zero. Nobody was eating downtown, they were ordering from DoorDash or Uber Eats, and we had to pay 40% commission to those services,” he said. “The environment has changed drastically. We couldn’t just keep on doing what we were doing and expecting different results. That’s why we’re trying new things. We said, ‘let’s stop beating a dead horse and try to convince people to come to Taste of Belgium for dinner.’” Jacques opened with a set menu to correspond with Cincinnati Restaurant Week. Guests could choose from gougères, escargot or moules au gratin for their first course; steak frites, duck confit and a waffle or vol-au-vent for their second; and crème brûlée, chocolate pot de creme or profiteroles for their third. If you find the idea of a waffle as a main course at a finedining restaurant odd, you’re not alone. “It started as a joke with Patrick, and then he said, ‘You know what? I kind of

TASTE OF BELGIUM AT THE BANKS. PHOTO BY HAILEY BOLLINGER

love it.’ In the past, we paired the waffle with duck breast, and he thought that doing it with confit would be something that would be really fun,” Flechet said. “It tastes amazing, and the flavors pair well. And it’s also fun to put a waffle on the main course menu in a more elevated concept. It’s kind of like a wink to what started it all for us, which is the waffle.” Flechet is most excited to show off their vol-au-vent — which he described as

“kind of like a blank canvas: you can do it with chicken, mushroom, lobster. To me, it’s comfort food, like a Belgian pot pie” — and their steak frites, which are served with a green peppercorn sauce. Now that Restaurant Week is over, Jacques will expand to an even larger menu on Oct. 1, although Flechet is mostly tight-lipped about what will be on it. He mentions steak tartare and some other French classics as potential options, but noted that he and Bowling are still trying to decide just how many items will be on the menu. His goal with the new restaurant is to introduce people to Belgian culture that they haven’t previously been exposed to, and to “keep Taste of Belgium alive and find a path forward so that we can celebrate our 20th anniversary next year.” “Opening the new concept is a way of generating additional income without having to support the fixed cost of a new restaurant. And also, Rookwood is a beautiful restaurant at night, and a lot of people have only been there during the day,” Flechet said. “We want to be a neighborhood place, and I think that there is a lot of opportunity for people who live up north and don’t want to go downtown. If all goes well, they will say they cannot wait to come back.”

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EATS

Wildweed launches new gargantuan cheese-stuffed burger for a limited time By Kane Mitten

ne of Cincinnati’s best restaurants is now, unexpectedly, serving burgers — but you’ll have to act quick, as there’s only 10 available each night while supplies last. Wildweed, the eclectic fine-dining restaurant at 1301 Walnut St. in Over-theRhine owned by chefs David and Lydia Jackman, has put a decadent bistro burger on its menu. Previously, David Jackman stated he’d never put a burger on the menu, but that

WILDWEED’S BISTRO BURGER, WHICH FEATURES URBAN STEAD GOUDA, CARAMELIZED FENNEL, SHAVED CHANTERELLES AND FERMENTED TRUFFLE AIOLI ON A SIXTEEN BRICKS BUN. PHOTO BY KANE MITTEN | CITYBEAT

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changed in February when the restaurant acquired a half-cow from Glasgo-Darling Farm. Wanting to utilize every part of the cow, the restaurant served up “squish, not smash” burgers for a few months at shockingly low prices to the delight of literally every foodie in Cincinnati. Now, after once again acquiring a halfcow from the same farm, the Jackmans are bringing burgers back to the menu in a completely different form. This burger is more expensive than the last one, but about three times as big. It’s served as a ‘Juicy Lucy’ — as in, two giant beef patties with cheese stuffed inside prior to cooking — utilizing Nati Gouda from local cheesemaker Urban Stead, caramelized fennel, shaved chanterelles and fermented truffle aioli on a brioche bun from Sixteen Bricks. The burger is cooked medium rare, then later marinated in beef fat and seared, which makes for crispy edges with an unbelievably juicy (and cheesy) interior. Again, only 10 burgers are available each night, and the burger can only be ordered while sitting at the bar. David Jackman says that “the burger disappears (from the menu) when the beef from our half cow does.” If it’s as popular as the last Wildweed burger, that’ll be quicker than anyone thinks.

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WILDWEED CHEFS AND CO-OWNERS DAVID AND LYDIA JACKMAN. PHOTO BY CHRIS VON HOLLE

MUSIC

CSO opening weekend celebrates music legend Wynton Marsalis By Anne Arenstein

ynton Marsalis is a phenomenon in the music world. A world-renowned trumpeter across genres, Marsalis is an award-winning composer, band leader and educator, with 136 albums spanning jazz, classical and alternate genres. Marsalis is also a good friend of Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra music director Cristian Mǎcelaru, who regularly includes Marsalis’s music in his programming. “We’ll be hearing a lot from Mr. Marsalis,” he told CityBeat in 2024. On Oct. 2, the CSO kicks off its 202627 season with a three-day festival showcasing Marsalis’s artistry as a composer, soloist, band leader and advocate for American culture (and an unseen but looming presence in the 20102013 HBO series “Treme”). Mǎcelaru and Marsalis met in 2015 and forged a friendship grounded in mutual respect and shared values. “We met at Chautauqua in upstate New York, where we were rehearsing his violin concerto,” Mǎcelaru recalled. “As we discussed the piece, it felt like we had known each other forever. We discovered that although we grew up in different worlds, we were surrounded by families who were dedicated to and passionate about music. Our fathers were educators and our mothers were really strong figures.” Mǎcelaru and Marsalis did several residencies together in Mǎcelaru’s native Romania and in New York. “When I talked with Wynton about doing one in Cincinnati, he said, ‘Man, we’ll do whatever you want us to do.’” As Marsalis winds up his tenure as leader of the big band Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, or JLCO, Mǎcelaru felt an urgency to go all out in celebrating Marsalis’s achievements. It’s been 42 years since Marsalis appeared with the CSO and he’s joined

NICOLA BENEDETTI. PHOTO BY ANDY GOTTS

WYNTON MARSALIS. PHOTO BY FRANK STEWART

by his wife, Scottish violinist Nicola Benedetti, who performs Bruch’s poignant violin concerto on opening night, and the 15-member JLCO, the group he helped to establish in the 1980s, now recognized as the world’s premiere jazz ensemble. The JLCO performs with the CSO and concludes the festival with their own concert. The evening’s featured work is Marsalis’s “Liberty” symphony, a CSO co-commission, composed in honor of America’s 250th birthday that premiered on Sept. 12 with the National Symphony Orchestra and the JLCO at Wolf Trap in Virginia. Marsalis’s works reveal a lifelong devotion to unifying different cultures, locations and musical influences throughout American history. “About once a decade, he makes a big statement about where we can go,” Mǎcelaru said. “This symphony tells us what has been building up inside of him and why it’s so important for him to safeguard liberty and democracy.” The New York Times review of the world premiere stated, “This year hasn’t yet produced any new art about the United States that hits harder than ‘Liberty.’” The JLCO joins the CSO for the symphony’s six movements that capture society’s struggles during historic time frames, emphasizing humanity, resilience and optimism. Expect to hear heavy blues, big band swing, jazz musings and orchestral power. In an interview on Wolf Trap’s website, Marsalis described his work as “transcendent. I was shocked by how uplifting the ending was.” The following evening, Benedetti returns to perform Marsalis’s Grammy award-winning Violin Concerto, and JLCO joins the CSO for a reimagined take on Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition.” The violin concerto was written for Benedetti. A recording of the Violin Concerto was released in 2019 with Benedetti and Mǎcelaru conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra, winning

Grammys for instrumental soloist and conductor. “It’s been 10 years since we were all in the same room together working on the concerto at Chautauqua in New York,” Mǎcelaru said. “This is going to be incredible!” The concerto is indeed incredible, a meditation on the fiddle as a uniquely American sound culminating in a wildly gleeful hoedown. “Pictures at an Exhibition,” originally a piano suite, was orchestrated by Maurice Ravel and quickly became a symphonic classic. Mǎcelaru envisioned the piece as an opportunity to showcase the versatility of both the CSO and the JLCO. The arrangements by JLCO’s alto sax player Sherman Irby create diverse soundscapes in all the movements. “The structure of the piece really lends itself to this collaboration,” said Anthony Paggett, chief artistic officer with the CSO. “With the punctuation of the

promenades, the ethereal saxophone solo in the Old Castle, there are tons of threads to pull. The audience will hear familiar material exactly as orchestrated by Ravel, and movements fully arranged for JLCO. The forces will combine to create aural delights!” The festival concludes with a concert by JLCO and a last chance to see Marsalis leading this extraordinary ensemble of some of the world’s best jazz musicians, many of whom are composers and arrangers for major artists. Mǎcelaru has led the world’s leading orchestras, and he is clearly awed by JLCO’s high standards of performance and dedication. He’s especially impressed by how it’s done without a conductor. “Their rehearsals are deeply intellectual in nature. I did not expect that they would be as detail-oriented as our orchestra rehearsals,” he said. “But they were. And they were dealing with the same issues we were addressing. The only difference is they don’t have a conductor. So different members of the ensemble will take the leading role at different times. They listen to every note that they play, they understand its purpose.” And as Mǎcelaru noted, the JLCO decides who’ll lead a specific number, “and that person has the same authority I have as conductor. And this changes from minute to minute.” “I’ve learned so much from Wynton and from his musicians. They have found the way where the instrument they play isn’t just musical instruments. It’s truly a voice that is so human, so expressive.” Mǎcelaru looks forward to the first joint rehearsal as much as the first concert. “I’ve seen it over and over: as soon as they walk on stage and they start performing, everyone in the CSO and the audiences will understand and appreciate their artistry so much.”

WYNTON MARSALIS (BACK ROW, LEFT). PHOTO BY LUIGI BEVERELLI

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