Staff report
Leslie Mooney, vice president and executive cirector of BLINK, will provide an exciting preview of BLINK 2026 at Covington Business Council’s monthly luncheon in September.
The event will be at the Grand Ballroom in Covington on September 17, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Mooney will share a sneak peek at some of the incredible artwork and immersive zones planned for this year’s festival, along with an overview of BLINK’s remarkable impact on the Cincinnati region —economically, culturally, and internationally.
BLINK continues to set the standard as the largest light-based art festival in the United States and is second only to Vivid Sydney in Australia.
The 2024 festival generated an impressive $205 million in direct economic impact, attracted more than 2 million attendees, and earned 67 million print and online media impressions across the U.S. and around the world. Artists and visitors came from a dozen countries and half of the U.S. states, while local attendees spent an average of 2.17 days experiencing the festival.
Get an insider’s look at one of the region’s most celebrated events and learn how BLINK continues to transform our community through art, innovation, and economic growth.
Mooney is Vice President and Executive Director of BLINK, the nation’s largest immersive light and art event. Transforming over 30 city blocks across Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky with large-scale projection mapping, interactive light sculptures, and world-class street art, BLINK attracts international attention and visitors to the Greater Cincinnati region every other year.
Previously, Leslie spent twelve years at the helm of one of Cincinnati’s premier community arts organizations, the Clifton Cultural Arts Center (CCAC). Among other accomplishments during her time at CCAC, she spearheaded the capital campaign and construction of the first purpose-built community arts center located in the city of Cincinnati, increased the accessibility of arts education opportunities in the urban core, and tripled CCAC’s revenue, staff size and attendance.