Pineapple on pizza is not to my taste. That does not affect the assessment of this new mural. On March 12, 2026, Pineapple on Pizza was unveiled in Covington, a large-scale intervention executed on the building of The Gruff as part of the national Spray It Forward program, led by the brand Rust-Oleum. The project was selected as one of seven developments nationwide, positioning the city within a network of initiatives that use public art as a tool for visibility and urban activation.

The work was conceived by the collective Often Seen Rarely Spoken (OSRS), whose practice operates at the intersection of urban culture, graphic design, and local narratives. The mural brings together a set of visual elements that refer both to Covington’s history and its projected future, incorporating symbols of transformation, energy, and movement within a geometric composition of notable visual impact.

The involvement of ArtsWave confirms the institutional weight of the initiative within the cultural ecosystem of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. Its presence alone ensures visibility and reach, while placing the mural within a sustained strategy of creative placemaking aimed at strengthening community identity through artistic interventions in public space.

The opening event drew a broad and diverse audience, reinforcing the accessible character of the project. The inclusion of playful elements in the public presentation supports a clear strategy: to engage non-specialized audiences and activate urban space as a site of social and cultural encounter.

Pineapple on Pizza operates within a contemporary logic of public art in the United States, where corporate sponsorship, cultural management, and community participation converge. Beyond its local dimension, the mural stands as a representative case of how these alliances are reshaping the role of art in the construction of identity and in the mediated projection of cities.