Keep Cincinnati Beautiful (KCB), known for helping to reduce blight, crime and graffiti through its public Arts Programs, is partnering with nonprofit ArtWorks, to create12 murals in the Over-the-Rhine (OTR) Main Street district alleys.

The New Lines Alleyway Mural Project has been creatively financed through a crowdsourcing IndieGoGo campaign by KCB. The reached its $5,000 goal on the final day of the campaign. Twelve new murals will be painted this summer in OTR’s Main St. district alleys, which are considered to be among the city’s most neglected pedestrian spaces. The murals are designed by artists with local ties. The project will be led by local Teaching Artists and aided by Apprentices.

In total, 23 murals will be painted throughout the Greater Cincinnati area. The project kicked off in June with Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley applying the first paint strokes to the “Swing Around Rosie” mural featuring legendary singer and Cincinnati native Rosemary Clooney. (Yes, she is George Clooney’s aunt.)

Keep Cincinnati Beautiful’s Arts Program uses art as a catalyst for reducing blight, crime and graffiti via three methods: enhancing vacant buildings, remediating and beautifying vacant lots, and designing innovative eco-art installations. Keep Cincinnati Beautiful is an award-winning affiliate of Keep America Beautiful.