COVINGTON, Va. – A year into her 50 murals in 50 states project, Cheyenne Renee’s dream is becoming more and more of a reality.
Around this time last year, Cheyenne set out on a mission to paint 50 murals in all 50 states.
So far she has completed seven of the states including Virginia, West Virginia, Iowa, Idaho, Nevada, California, and Wyoming.
“It’s been a massive blessing. I thought of the project on a whim around this time last year and when I painted this mural I had no idea if it was going to work or not,” Cheyenne said.
One of her goals is to paint murals in smaller towns or cities across the United States. Being from Covington herself, she realizes how important public art can be for these types of places.
She never knows what she’s going to paint until she’s in the town or city. It mostly takes conversations with the community or local organizations to get her artistic mind turning.
“I want every mural to be something that the community resonates with … so something that feels familiar to them or something they’re excited to see,” Cheyenne said.
Throughout her journey, she has found many of the towns and cities she visits have something in common.
“It doesn’t matter what state you’re in, if you’re in a small community, the heart of the people there is like the number one that’s going to show,” she said.
She’s also found out more about herself along the way.
“I also have surprised myself a little bit with how quickly I can get pieces done, so I would love to have next year and the year after look like two or three murals a month,” Cheyenne said.
She has no clue where her next stop is going to be. If you have a suggestion, you can nominate a place for her to consider.
During her time at home, Cheyenne has continued to promote her project.
This week, she bought 40 cups of coffee from Kanawha Café to give out to people. On Saturday, Dec. 17, anyone who visits Honeycomb Grove will have a chance to win one of her paintings.
Cheyenne also encourages people to visit the murals, take pictures with them, then send the pictures her way. She said she plans to feature the photographs in a documentary.
You can keep up with her journey on her Facebook page here.