I was barely a couple of blocks into my first stroll around downtown Cincinnati, heading north from the business district that lines the Ohio River with its smattering of skyscrapers, when I began spying street art. Vast, colourful murals adorn multiple walls, from the exteriors of restaurants and apartment blocks to half-demolished buildings, where empty lots are now used as ad hoc car parks.
Vivid images helped me glean a bit more about the past and present of Cincy – as it’s affectionately known by locals – with the work spanning illustrations of local heroes, such as renowned Modernist wildlife artist Charley Harper and various sports stars, to images of food, abstract designs and more political messages exhorting tolerance and togetherness. One even depicts some of the toys invented by Cincinnatian company, Kenner Products, many of which were British kids’ childhood staples: Care Bears, Star Wars action figures, Play-Doh.
