MOUNTAIN HOME, Idaho — In the hidden nooks between alleyways and around every corner, you'll find colorful stories splashed onto walls around Mountain Home, or as some call it, Idaho's mural capital.
"It's very community-oriented. We have kids from three to all the way to their 80s painting," said Brenda Raub, founder of Community Canvas Mountain Home.
Raub, a local art teacher, is the driving force behind Community Canvas of Mountain Home. For nearly a decade, she and a team of local artists have been turning blank walls into breathtaking pieces of art.
"Went to Denver and then found a bunch of art on their walls while roaming around and thought, 'We can do that here,'" said Raub.
That's exactly what they did. Every June, they start new murals and unveil them on the Fourth of July. Over the years, they've brought more than 250 paintings to life, with 18 new pieces this year.
WATCH: Local high school students transform these empty walls into an underwater oasis!
And, they do it all at no cost to the Mountain Home community.
"It is an artist willing to volunteer their time, and then we have to do some fundraising. After we get approval from everyone, then I tell the artist, and then we get going," said Raub.
This June, three local high school students dedicated their time to create a mural at Richard Aguirre Park. For them, it was more than just a summer project.
"I've been in Mrs Raub's class for two years now, and it's just one of my biggest passions," said Monroe Williams, one of the artists. "Thinking about in 10 years I can come back to Mountain Home and see this mural, and I'm like, 'Hey, I did that.'"
Student Bonnie Trouten has been painting murals around town since she was just 14.
"It's definitely got less nerve-racking to paint murals because I'm like, I've done this before. And I've seen a lot of improvement," said Trouten.
If you're interested in becoming a muralist or donating a wall, you can find more information on the Community Canvas of Mountain Home website or Facebook page.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
