The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden partners with Save Local Waters, a regional stormwater collaborative between municipalities and conservation districts in Ohio, Indianna, and Kentucky, to host the Rain Barrel Art Project each spring.

Each of the 40 barrels were painted by individuals and groups who submitted a design the previous fall. After they were chosen, they attended a workshop to learn about the painting process and to pick up their barrel, and have been spending their free time and energy for the past several months transforming bland plastic barrels into stunning works of art. Each year we welcome a mix of new and returning artists, novices and professionals, individual and class projects—if you want to participate in the 2027 project, be sure to visit Save Local Water’s website when the next entry period opens in October 2026!