Community
Artwork
A variety of unique community artwork brings Elm Street Plaza to life with bright colors and different mediums. Read about the artists and their respective pieces below.
Cincinnati's Largest Mural - by Tristan Eaton
Multidisciplinary artist Tristan Eaton doesn’t shy away from a big undertaking. The prolific artist has created an incredible career based in innovation and monumental projects, leaving a lasting mark on communities across the globe. Similarly, BLINK®, illuminated by Artswave, is well-versed in large-scale art, with the whole city of Cincinnati as their canvas. This alignment in ambition made their collaboration the perfect storm, leading to the creation of Ohio’s largest mural. Commissioned for BLINK, Eaton brought his signature layering and thoughtful composition to Cincy, immortalizing part of the city’s history. Standing at an estimated 18,000 square feet on the side of the 84.51 headquarters, he marked Cincinnati’s deep-rooted commitment to public art and preserved history. Using 3,732 cans of Montana Cans paint, the resulting piece is undeniably a landmark. The resulting mural is an homage to the broad and rich spectrum of music that has originated from Cincinnati, featuring music legends spanning genres and generations to change the world through their music. With Mamie Smith, Gloria Jones, H-Bomb Ferguson, The Isley Brothers, Phillip Paul, George Russell, James Brown, Doris Day, Marty Balin, and Bootsy Collins all larger than life, the piece is a breathtaking love letter to the city’s musical history.
Coloratura - by AGAR Studios
“Coloratura” is a sculptural tribute to Cincinnati’s legacy of rhythm, innovation, and cultural expression, inspired by the city’s deep musical roots and the boundary-pushing spirit of King Records. Beneath a crown-shaped canopy, strands of color unfurl in melodic forms that echo the movement of a living chorus. The work shifts with changing light and perspective, inviting visitors to move through it as they would through a piece of music, discovering new harmonies along the way. By blending motion, color, and communal space, Coloratura celebrates how music shapes memory and brings people together.
Freeforms - by Luke Lehenbauer
"Freeforms" is a celebration of movement - the kind that rises instinctively when music hits the soul. Created by Cincinnati artist and designer Luke Lehenbauer, the series of seven sculptures will capture the physical responses inspired by King Records' groundbreaking sound: dancing, praising, shaking, stretching, leaping. Each bold, geometric form will freeze a moment of expressive motion, embodying the body as an instrument - moved by rhythm, carried by spirit. Their sweeping gestures will reflect the raw energy of R&B, funk, country, soul, and early rock 'n' roll - the very genres King Records helped define. Like King Records itself, the sculptures will unite diverse sounds and communities, transforming the plaza into a dance floor, a sanctuary, a stage. They won't just be seen - they'll be felt. Together, they will honor the truth that music won't just move through us it will move us.
True American Music - by Jason Snell
"True American Music " honors King Records as a bridge between genres and generations. This looping steel ribbon twists through the story of American music - from Country to Soul, Rockabilly to Funk - tracing the roots of Rock 'n' Roll. Painted in a shifting gradient, the sculpture flows, inviting movement, reflection, and connection. Like the music it celebrates, " True American Music " bends, loops, and carries rhythm forward.
Funk Glasses - by Black Art Speaks
This work stands as a tribute to the incomparable Bootsy Collins; the visionary bassist, bandleader, and cultural icon whose genius helped launch funk into a new dimension. Few artists have transformed a genre the way Bootsy did. With every note, every shimmer, every unapologetic flash of style, he redefined what rhythm could feel like and what music could mean. A proud son of Cincinnati, Bootsy carried the spirit of this city into studios and stages around the world. His early days with James Brown, his cosmic journey with Parliament-Funkadelic, and his own trailblazing creations formed a soundtrack that continues to inspire generations. Bootsy didn’t just play music — he built atmosphere, attitude, and identity. He gave funk its swagger. He turned bass lines into language. He made joy sound like electricity. Cincinnati’s contribution to the global legacy of funk is forever stamped with Bootsy’s brilliance. His sound, his imagination, and his boundless creativity remind us that art is at its most powerful when it is bold, fearless, and authentically rooted in community. This piece honors his influence and celebrates the vibrancy he brought to the world; a vibration that continues to echo through music, culture, and the heart of this city.
