CINCINNATI — A light display will be installed at The Banks to serve as “beacon of hope” during the COVID-19 crisis, Hamilton County Commissioner Denise Driehaus announced on Friday.
The initiative, spearheaded by the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, will be conceived by BLINK artists Brave Berlin and Vincent Lighting, who designed the display for the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge.
“Thanks to the Chamber for this beautiful beacon of hope for our community as we support each other during this COVID-19 crisis,” Driehaus said.
Steve McGowan, owner and partner at Brave Berlin, said in a time when we all have to stay apart, this is a symbol of solidarity.
“As we were kind of sitting home, quarantined, we were all thinking what could we do to make some kind of a difference," McGowan said.
So by Friday evening, the same people that brought the Tri-State BLINK brought create something inspiring, a blue light that shoots up toward the sky.
“Typically, through theatrical and lighting sort of theory all the colors of light, the spectrum of light create the brightest light, so we feel like that might represent all of us and certainly is a message to the world that we’re going to get through this together and we’ll feel brighter and happier after.”
The light display will occupy the former site of the Sky Wheel, which has been removed temporarily.
“What we’ve discovered is through art and light, it brings people together,” McGowan said.
However, the art installation isn't meant to draw a crowd.
“More of a symbol and a reminder and a message versus an attraction," he said.
