This October, the Art Academy of Cincinnati (AAC) will transform its Over-the-Rhine campus into a destination for BLINK 2026 with Polka-DOTober, a four-day and four-night celebration of art, light, music, performance, and community. The living canvas will be filled with large-scale 3D projection mapping, professional and student-created light sculptures, DJs and live music, dance performances, fire performers, LED performance art, exhibitions, hands-on community activities, and more!

Developed by AAC students, faculty, and staff, Polka-DOTober extends the Art Academy beyond its walls and brings creative experimentation directly into the streets of Over-the-Rhine. At the center of the celebration will be AAC’s mascot, Stinker the Skunk, reimagined as a giant illuminated inflatable that will transform the street outside the Art Academy into an unmistakable BLINK landmark.

Cincinnati Music Accelerator (CMA), founded in 2017 by Cincinnati native Kick Lee, will bring its mobile stage to AAC for all four nights of BLINK, creating a hub for local DJs, musicians, and live performances. The stage will also host Stinkstock, AAC’s famous rock concert, for a special night of live music. Dance Flash Fusion, CityBeat’s Best of Cincinnati Best Dance Company, will bring dance performances to the street across multiple nights, while fire performers will add another layer of movement and spectacle to the evening programming.

Throughout BLINK, AAC’s Jackson Street building will become part of the artwork itself through a large-scale 3D projection-mapping installation, using animation, motion, light, and digital imagery to transform the architecture after dark. The projection will be part of a larger campus-wide experience bringing together building-scale imagery, illuminated installations, music, performance, and interactive works.

AAC students will be at the center of the experience. Students are creating illuminated sculptures for the event, performing with LED wings and other light-based works, and offering glow-in-the-dark face painting for BLINK visitors. BLINK visitors will also be invited inside AAC throughout the weekend to see the 2026 FotoFocus Biennial. Daytime programming will give families and visitors even more ways to participate.

For visitors 21 and over, AAC will also have a cash bar during the evening festivities.

Across four days and nights, the campus will become a destination for contemporary art, light, music, dance, performance, exhibitions, and hands-on experiences for the entire community.