1. Best Of Cincinnati 2025
  2. Arts & Culture
  1. Best Of Cincinnati 2025
  2. Arts & Culture

Best Of 2025

Best of Cincinnati 2025 Issue Cover
Best of Cincinnati 2025 Issue Cover

Arts & Culture

Image: Arts & Culture
Here are the 2025 Best Of Cincinnati® Reader and Staff Pick winners for Arts & Culture.

Best Art Gallery (Not Institution): 21c Museum Hotel

  1. 21c Museum Hotel
  2. Art Academy of Cincinnati
  3. Clifton Cultural Arts Center

Best Art Museum: Cincinnati Art Museum

  1. Cincinnati Art Museum
  2. Contemporary Arts Center
  3. Taft Museum of Art

Best Artworks Mural: “Cincinnati Toy Heritage”

  1. “Cincinnati Toy Heritage”
  2. “Love Wins”
  3. “Fiona and Bibi at the Cincinnati Zoo”
  4. “Martha, the Last Passenger Pigeon”
  5. Charley Harper's “Beguiled by the Wild”
  6. “Ezzard Charles: The Cincinnati Cobra”
  7. “Democracy!”
  8. “Homecoming (Blue Birds)”
  9. “Dream Big and Fly High”
  10. CROWN Trail Mural

Best Church Festival: Panegyri

  1. Panegyri
  2. CincItalia
  3. St. Cecilia Family Festival

Best Fountain Square Event: Reds Opening Day Rally on the Square

  1. Reds Opening Day Rally on the Square
  2. Ice Rink on Fountain Square
  3. Art on Vine

Best Free Attraction: BLINK

  1. BLINK
  2. Cincinnati Art Museum
  3. Findlay Market
  4. The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County
  5. Jungle Jim's International Market
  6. Smale Riverfront Park
  7. Washington Park
  8. Tunes & Blooms at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
  9. Contemporary Arts Center
  10. FotoFocus

Best Gallery Exhibit: A Pig-ment of Your Imagination at REC, Cincinnati Art Museum

  1. A Pig-ment of Your Imagination at REC, Cincinnati Art Museum
  2. The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century, Cincinnati Art Museum
  3. NUDE: Exploring the Uncovered Human Form, Manifest Gallery

Best Haunted House: Dent Schoolhouse

  1. Dent Schoolhouse
  2. Kings Island Halloween Haunt
  3. The USS Nightmare

Best Holiday Light Display: Festival of Lights at the Cincinnati Zoo

  1. Festival of Lights at the Cincinnati Zoo
  2. WinterFest at Kings Island
  3. Cincinnati Nature Center’s Light in the Forest

Best Instagram Account: Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden (@cincinnatizoo)

  1. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden (@cincinnatizoo)
  2. Midwestern Lesbian (@midwestern.lesbian)
  3. Longbottom Bird Ranch (@longbottombirdranch)

Best Kid-Friendly Attraction: Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

  1. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
  2. The Children's Museum at the Cincinnati Museum Center
  3. Longbottom Bird Ranch
  4. Kings Island
  5. Newport Aquarium
  6. Cincinnati Art Museum
  7. Great Parks of Hamilton County
  8. Cincinnati Parks
  9. Smale Riverfront Park
  10. Behringer-Crawford Museum

Best Local Actor/Actress: Bob Herzog

  1. Bob Herzog
  2. Eileen Earnest
  3. Mark Borison

Best Local Artist: Pam Kravetz

  1. Pam Kravetz
  2. Kiwi the Duck
  3. Anthony “Tank” Mansfield
  4. Joshua Stout
  5. Technique2012
  6. Gee Horton
  7. James Billiter
  8. Leah Noumoff
  9. Kevin Necessary
  10. Cedric Michael Cox

Best Local Author: Emily Henry

  1. Emily Henry
  2. Curtis Sittenfeld
  3. Michael Sawan (softmaxplus)

Best Local Classical Music Group: Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

  1. Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
  2. Cincinnati Pops
  3. MUSE Cincinnati's Women’s Choir

Best Local Comedian: Kelly Collette

  1. Kelly Collette
  2. Sweett Biscut
  3. Mark Borison

Best Local Dance Group: Cincinnati Ballet

  1. Cincinnati Ballet
  2. DANCEFIX
  3. Cin City Burlesque

Best Local Filmmaker: Four by Three (Chase Crawford)

  1. Four by Three (Chase Crawford)
  2. Cincy Stories
  3. Virtual Cocktail TIE
  4. Mark Borison TIE

Best Local Improv/Sketch Comedy Group: Improv Cincinnati

  1. Improv Cincinnati
  2. Alphas Comedy
  3. Two Sketchy Dames

[OPINION] Former Ohio U.S. Sen. JD Vance Just Can’t Stop Trolling, Gaslighting and Flip-Flopping

By Marilou Johanek, Ohio Capital Journal

Vice President JD Vance speaks at the National Police Week breakfast event, hosted by the VP on May 14, 2025.

Review: Harry & Shan Serves Classic Chinese-American Dishes That Keep You Coming Back For More

By Caroline Beckman

The location of Harry & Shan, 627 Main St. downtown, may be familiar to many Cincinnatians as it is the former location of Deme Kitchen, a previous downtown mainstay. Deme Kitchen closed its Main Street doors in September of last year.

Cincinnati Friends Aim to Open One of the Nation’s Few Lesbian Bars

By Caitlin McNally, the Buckeye Flame

According to Claudia Reith, one of Blended Café & Club’s founders, “a lot of queer spaces aren’t necessarily catered towards sapphic specifically, and we’ve gotten messages where people have expressed that they don’t necessarily go out anymore because they don’t feel safe…that’s a big driving factor and a huge concern for us.”

‘It is Time for a Change.’ Dr. Amy Acton Talks About Running for Ohio Governor, Reflects on COVID-19

By Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal

Dr. Amy Acton, currently the only Democratic candidate running for Ohio governor, spoke at the City Club of Cleveland on June 25.

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