MINNEAPOLIS — A downtown Minneapolis mural honoring pop superstar Prince will be unveiled in June, organizers say.
The painting is scheduled to begin on May 16 on a parking ramp near First Avenue and 8th Street, officials with the Crown Our Prince project said.
The artwork will be carried out by Hiero Veiga, 33, a Black Florida street painter known for the rendering on the exterior wall of Miami’s Museum of Graffiti. The project website says Veiga was one of 60 artists considered to head up the project, and was selected after being interviewed both by a selection committee and Prince's family. He has been painting for more than 21 years, evolving from graffiti to portraits, scenery pieces and psychedelic art.
“It is an honor to be selected to paint the mural of Prince,” said Veiga in a statement on the website. “I have worked my entire life for an opportunity like this. I understand the full weight of this responsibility. This is Prince’s legacy, and I will make sure that this mural makes Prince’s family, fans, Minneapolis, and the world proud.”
Organizers say the $500,000 Minneapolis project has been in the works for seven years. A block party is scheduled for June 2 to celebrate its completion.
Prince won seven Grammy Awards, six American Music Awards, an Oscar for the score to “Purple Rain” and a Golden Globe. He sold more than 150 million records worldwide and is a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
This month marks six years since Prince died of an accidental fentanyl overdose at his Paisley Park home in Chanhassen.
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