With the amount of public street art across Cincinnati — numerous murals and installations — it’s like living in an open-air museum. Now, Cincinnati’s collection of street art is in the national spotlight as it competes for the top spot in USA Today’s 10Best readers’ choice poll for Best City for Street Art 2026.
Cincinnati has been on this 10Best list for six years in a row — as long as the category has existed. Local arts nonprofit ArtWorks claimed the No. 1 spot in 2024, and Cincinnati earned the No. 2 spot in 2025. Voting is open now through Feb. 16, at noon. You can vote for a category once per day per device. Winners will be announced Feb. 25.
Nominees in the category are selected by a panel of experts and editors. According to 10Best, Cincinnati was chosen among 19 other cities for its collection of murals that turns the city into a “vibrant outdoor public gallery” spanning all 52 neighborhoods. 10Best adds it is “a place where every wall tells a story and every neighborhood is a gallery.” The Queen City also gets a nod for our biennial BLINK arts and lights festival, which 10Best says transforms the city into a glowing canvas.
ArtWorks says Cincinnati winning the national title in the poll helps bring visibility to local artists, nonprofits, neighborhoods and organizations that make the work possible. The nonprofit credits its mural and its youth apprenticeship program, which employs local artists, teens and young adults in paid jobs, for helping transform the city into a dynamic spot for street art. The program has been able to create over 350 permanent outdoor murals so far.
“We always used to say our city is a gallery. Now we boast that our city is a museum, where you can discover an incredible array of art, appreciate amazing living local artists side by side with artists from Cincinnati’s history, and encounter internationally acclaimed artists who created their first murals in the world right here,” said ArtWorkd CEO Colleen Houston. “These murals are a powerful investment back into our neighborhoods. Most importantly, they help create hundreds of local jobs each year. With every brushstroke, young people make a positive change in their communities. That legacy and connection to place empowers generations of future community leaders.”
On the leaderboard for Best City for Street Art, Cincinnati currently ranks No. 1. You can vote here.
Cincinnati museums and parks are also having their moment on the 10Best polls. Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park is in the running for Best Sculpture Park, while Cincinnati Museum Center’s Cincinnati History Museum and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center are nominated for Best History Museum, and the Museum Center’s Cincinnati Children’s Museum is nominated for Best Children’s Museum.
The American Sign Museum in Camp Washington is also nominated for Best Pop Culture Museum, and the Cincinnati Art Museum is up for Best Art Museum. We have more information on how to vote in those categories here.
Learn more about ArtWorks: artworkscincinnati.org.