Spooky Halloween Art in Cincinnati

By Christen Collins

Photo by: Christen Collins

Location: OTR

Cincinnati is the best place to experience the holidays all around the year, but Halloween is especially spooky here with the haunted stories that come from the historic past of the city.  But have no fear!  It’s all about celebrating life, having fun, and being creative!  

From galleries to local shops, events, parties, craft fairs, markets, workshops, shows and more, Cincinnati has everything you can think of that incorporates a theme of the holiday.   

We also have some of the best designed haunted houses and decorated homes throughout each neighborhood. There’s something for everyone and you can see the art that goes into transforming Cincinnati into a thrilling Halloween city of wonders! 

Photo Credit: Cappel’s 

Don’t know what you want your Halloween costume to be or need decorations for a party? Don’t freak out! Family owned Costume and Party Supply Store Cappiel’s has everything you need with hundreds of selections!
https://www.cappelsinc.com

A group of kids in clothing

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Photo Credit: Contemporary Arts Center

Get into the spirit of the holiday with your kids by going to places that offer arts and crafts like the Art Play: Halloween Party at the Contemporary Arts Center on Thursday, October 26th from 10:30am – 11:30am. Dress up, create your own “scary” artwork, and eat all the candy you can!

https://www.contemporaryartscenter.org/experience/calendar/2022/10/27/thursday-art-play-halloween-party

Photo Credit: Cincinnati Zoo

HallZooween is back again at the Cincinnati Zoo and “BOO”-tanical Gardens and is always a spectacular time!  The Zoo gets in the Halloween spirit by giving the animals pumpkin treats and candy treats to the kiddos!  

Image Credit: Cincinnati Museum Center

On Weekends at the Cincinnati Museum Center “scare  up some fun” by dressing up in costumes and party at the “BOO!seum.  There’s a Monster Mash, Costume Parade, Science Experiments and more!

Photo Credit: Christen Collins

Location: Westside

Going out trick-or-treating isn’t just exciting for all the candy you get but also for the awesome decorations that people go all out with on their homes and in their yards. They’re quirky and scary but great entertainment for the whole family!

Murals of The Cincy Wallflower

Artwork & Photos by: Rebekah Del Matto


Throughout the Queen City area there are over 30 charming murals made by Rebekah Del Matto also known as The Cincy Wallflower. She is a local Muralist for hire that will amaze you with how she can transform any space that you have into a work of art! Her murals add incredible visual elements that can be created on just about any surface and at any location. Many of her pieces are lovely accent walls in homes, businesses, and now in parks!

@cincywallflower

“I love so much about what I do. I have always
been in customer service and went to DAAP for Fine Arts. I think in a way it’s combining the two skills I’ve worked on the most. Being a custom mural artist you have to be flexible to work with so many different people and really enjoy the hands-on part of installing the mural. I love working with each client in tweaking my style to fit theirs. Sometimes you get lucky in getting a job where you have full creative freedom but a lot of it is learning about the person’s style/business and making sure it suits their wants/needs. I love when I make something I’m excited about but that the client is even more.”

Rebekah is always gracious to share insights about her experiences as The Cincy Wallflower. We had the pleasure of getting more familiar with everything that she does by asking her a few questions about her creative pursuits. She graciously provided us with fantastic details to her collaborations that brought new meaning to the positive
influence that Art can make on an environment and the community. There are endless opportunities to be enchanted by The Cincy Wallflower paintings and the list of locations that the public can view her murals is growing rapidly.


I have been honored to work in some awesome locations in Cincy/Northern Kentucky. You can see my work at Arnold’s Bar & Grill, UGO Gelato, Lunar Beauty Bar, Goose & Elder, Washington Park, Ziegler Park, Madtree Alcove, Bomb Cat Salon, Garden Grove Organics, and a handful of new locations that are soon to be open!”

Take a journey exploring these amazing places to see the diversity among the different styles of murals that Rebekah specializes in. There isn’t any idea too far out there that this talented artist won’t entertain to create!

“I view each project as a victory and
challenge and when they are complete
you can’t help but feel a little proud.
The two murals that make me feel
most proud would be the one located
at UGO Gelato and a mural I painted
for a local Airbnb. The Airbnb mural is
a project that I feel represents how my
art career has been connected and
grown. It’s a golden mustard backdrop
with smaller floral and illustrated
elements that created a wallpaper
effect. I have always been obsessed
with wallpaper and I think that’s where
my obsession with murals came from. I
love pieces that use the color and style
of the space to elevate and unite the
room.

UGO gelato is a mural displaying Sicily’s famous prickly pear. It was such a fun way to stick to my ‘color- blocking’ style but at a slightly smaller scale to add depth and detail. This mural is the one that is most often re-posted. It’s so much fun to see others enjoying the art and really see how art can be used to excite others and also bring attention to the business.”

At Arnold’s Bar and Grill are themed wall paintings that are inspired by the fascinating history and aesthetics of the restaurant. The murals reference the past and interpret the imagery in contemporary ways that are delightful to look at and fun to take selfies with!” Their Chef, Kayla Robison was one of the first people to commission The Cincy Wallflower to create a piece specific to what she loves to do for a living in her personal kitchen that she does a lot of cooking in! Kayla often films how to shows in her kitchen and you can catch a glimpse of the custom made mural.
http://www.arnoldsbarandgrill.com

@arnolds_cincinnati
@commandernbeef

“The first mural I ever painted was for a
friend/coworker Kayla Robison and it
was in her kitchen at home. Since she is
a chef in the city she wanted a food
inspired mural to be the backdrop to her
cooking segments she films in her
kitchen. She had full confidence in me
and actually gave me freedom in how I
executed her vision. To be technical it
wasn’t actually painted with a brush but
was created with paint markers since it
was an intricate wall of illustrations
displaying various vegetables. This
illustration style has popped up in a
handful of other murals I have done and
was such a fun starting point in my
creative path as a muralist.”

Artwork by: Rebekah Del Matto
Photo by: Kayla Robinson
Model: Luna Robinson


For each mural The Cincy Wallflower goes over concepts with you to bring the perfect design ideas to life for any desired destination! She goes through the entire process with you from start to finish to ensure that the outcome is exactly how you envisioned it to be.

“I think working in nurseries and playrooms is so much fun! Especially if it’s for a first time mother. One nursery I painted was for a couple that I met from bartending. When they found out that they were pregnant they reached out and wanted an arch of flowers around their crib. It was so sweet to have a full circle of friendship and go from being regulars at the bar to getting to work with them in creating a sentimental mural for their next step in becoming parents. We worked together to create a color floral piece and got to add a couple of Iris’ to represent her grandmother’s favorite flower.”

Her website is extremely user friendly and very easy to navigate through. On her site will discover some of her fabulous pieces in her online gallery to get inspiration and maybe even start planning a mural as a gift for Mothers Day coming up!


https://www.thecincywallflower.com
Written by: Christen Collins
Art and Photos by Rebekah Del Matto