Artist painting mural in Norfolk as part of national project
A multi-year, nationwide project celebrating small towns has made a stop in northeast Nebraska.
By News Channel NebraskaNORFOLK,Neb. — A multi-year, nationwide project celebrating small towns has made a stop in northeast Nebraska.
Cheyenne Renee is in year four of her “50 in 50” project, which aims to create a mural in a small town in every state. Alongside the murals, she is filming a documentary that highlights the people and communities where she works.
After countless hours and miles on the road, Renee reached the tour's 40th stop: Norfolk's Sunset Plaza Mall.
She says Nebraskans have been among the most welcoming people she has met on her journey.
“I’ve only been here since 9:30 this morning but I’ve meet so many people already,” said Renee. “I didn’t realize how many people come through the mall, and everybody’s been incredibly friendly to a stranger that’s painting, so that’s been nice and a good way to introduce myself to the community.”
She says Norfolk was selected through a submission she received while working on another mural in Alaska. The mural features bright flowers native to the region.
Renee is originally from Covington, Virginia, which has a population of about 6,000. She chooses to highlight smaller towns because she understands what it is like to lack the resources available in larger cities.
“You really have to connect with the people that your business lives around it’s not as easy as you know finding your target audience within a sea of numbers,” said Renne. “ So you have to build more relationships with people and being willing to work on things in a unique way.”
Renee hopes the completed “50 in 50” project will increase tourism to the small towns she’s highlighted.
“My goal at the end of this is to connect all 50 communities and then be able to work with all 50 from here on out. To kind of create a map for people to travel the country to see the murals, but also know faces in each of these places,” said Renne
Renee says she plans to finish the “50 in 50” project later this year after taking some time to rest from her travels back in Virginia.