CINCINNATI — A projection mapping display that hasn't been done since Lumenocity ended in 2016 will return to the iconic Music Hall for BLINK when the festival returns in 2024.
Justin Brookhart, BLINK's executive director, announced the art and light festival will return to Cincinnati October 17 through October 20 in 2024, running for four days. The first day will kick off with a parade to open the four-day showcase of art created by contributors from all over the world, Brookhart said.
In 2022, 2.1 million people came to see the spectacle at BLINK and the event brought $126 million in revenue to the city, according to Brendon Cull, president and CEO of the Cincinnati Regional Chamber.
"This can drive the future of Cincinnati," said Cull. "It defines us, it defines who we are."
He noted the $48 million brought in by a packed weekend that hosted two days of Taylor Swift concerts and said BLINK aims to triple that economic impact in the coming years.
Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval said when Brookhart was brought on as executive director of BLINK, he challenged Brookhart to two things: To make sure BLINK did everything possible to have a positive impact on the city and to ensure its participants led in racial equality.
"In 2022, he hit it out of the park on both of those fronts," said Pureval.
Organizers did not make any mention of the size or locations that would feature BLINK exhibits; in 2022, the art festival stretched across 30 city blocks from northern Over-the-Rhine by Findlay Market all the way into Covington in Northern Kentucky.
However, Andrew Salzbrun, a managing partner of AGAR, said organizers are looking for something different this time around: Business volunteers.
He said the festival's website will have a form for business owners looking to participate in BLINK to sign up. The festival is interesting in forging partnerships to bring murals to empty business walls and installations to parking lot spaces, Salzbrun said.
He said for 2024, the festival aims to include even more artists than before — and 2022 boasted over 300 participating artists from local regions and from around the world — and more murals adorning walls.
The 2022 festival marked the largest BLINK so far, with more than 100 art installations, projection mapping, light-based installations and more. Thousands of people filled the city streets to marvel at the various art experiences, which were accompanied by a parade, live music, food and more.
Organizers said attendees traveled to Cincinnati from 29 different states; through the execution of the event, BLINK also "directly created or supported 1,638 jobs," said Justin Brookhart.
You can watch the full press conference below:
