CCM students create installation for BLINK 2026

Students from UC College-Conservatory of Music are creating a dazzling display for BLINK, the nation's largest public light and art festival. Illuminated by ArtsWave, BLINK transforms 30+ city blocks from Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine through Northern Kentucky on Oct. 8-11, 2026.

Titled "Echoes of Light," the BLINK installation will be created by CCM Lighting Design and Technology students Jacob Kaplan, lighting designer; Lia Lubinsky, assistant designer; Lucy Dunn, assistant designer; and Jack Walter, programmer; with faculty advisor Sharon Huizinga, CCM Associate Professor of Lighting Design and Technology.

They will illuminate the largest continuous mural in Ohio, created by artist Tristan Eaton in 2022, located at Elm Street Plaza. The mural honors the rich spectrum of music history in Cincinnati, honoring 10 music legends in a larger-than-life representation — standing at an estimated 18,000 sq ft. The project will honor these musicians by creating a dynamic lighting spectacle through a mashup of their music.

"BLINK marks my senior capstone at CCM and I could not be more excited to be embarking on this journey," Kaplan said. "I have always had a passion for music and theater and I look forward to bringing those two things together on a large scale for this project."

This experience puts education into action for these students, who will have the opportunity to showcase their work to millions of people visiting the Queen City for the biennial event. In 2024, BLINK was experienced by over 2 million people.

This isn't the first time CCM student work is showcased at BLINK. In 2024, a student team created a lighting display for the Insane 51 mural, located near 1539 Race Street in the parking lot at the corner of Race and Liberty streets. MFA Lighting Design and Technology student Lucas Inman was the lead designer working with MFA student Nate Hedges, lighting project manager; BFA student Hayden Valkema, lighting programmer; and BFA student Flynn Wilson, lighting utility. CCM Professors Kevin Lawson and Sharon Huizinga served as faculty advisors.

"The project [was] an incredible learning experience," Inman said at the time. "It [was] a challenging process to apply and innovate the process of creating a lighting design, but to light elements of a 200-ft-wide mural instead of a musical or ballet. Particularly, thinking of ways to turn a two-dimensional image into a three-dimensional experience using only entertainment lighting fixtures."

Watch a student-produced documentary about CCM's role in BLINK 2024.

Specific details about BLINK 2026 will be announced by event organizers: learn more. 

Started in 2017, BLINK is a biennial celebration of public art and light that spans the urban core of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. The massive four-day event features 80+ large-scale projection mappings against some of the city’s most iconic architecture, interactive light-based installations in its public spaces and expansive murals across its buildings, all by renowned local, national and international artists. The largest of its kind in the country, the festival’s mission is to nurture a sense of community, connection and inspiration through the medium of public art. In 2024, BLINK spanned 30+ city blocks, crossing the Ohio River into Covington and Newport, Kentucky and was experienced by over 2 million people. Executive producing partners are the Cincinnati Regional Chamber, AGAR and the Haile Foundation. 

Featured image at the top: Tristan Eaton's mural at Cincinnati's Elm Street Plaza.