Minneapolis 2018
The first People's Museum for Prince · Solar Arts Building · Art-A-Whirl, May 2018
In May 2018 the first People's Museum for Prince welcomed over 3,000 visitors during Minneapolis's Art-A-Whirl weekend at the Solar Arts Building, an immersive experience of Prince-inspired art and stories from more than 30 artists and storytellers, from Minneapolis and throughout the US as well as the UK, Australia, Switzerland, Canada and Germany.
Handstitched quilts, paintings, prints, illustrations, photographs, video, books, original songs with sheet music, scrapbooks, a cat suit worn by an Australian fan who danced with Prince, Troy Gua's Le Petit Prince, and a papier-mâché ancestor puppet first made for the 2016 Minneapolis May Day Parade: each work came with a personal Prince story. The exhibition also showed selections from two private Prince collections, and introduced Houses of Prince, the ongoing collaboration between curator Emma Balázs and historian Kristen Zschomler.
At the Museum
Solar Arts Building, Minneapolis, May 2018 · Photos: Daniel R. Pratt · Select any photo to see it full screen
Art in these photos by Una Renee Walton · Erin Sayer · Troy Gua · Jennifer Umolac · Linda Clayton, and Houses of Prince
The people
Purple Preview night, May 18 · Photos: Steven Cohen for MPR, and E.C.Balázs
Art by Mary Plaster · Dana Lemoine
Artists and Story Contributors
- Geoff BellNewcastle-upon-Tyne, UK
- Rich A. Benson also in 2026 →Minneapolis, MN
- Lori Kay Blake-LeightonFerndale, WA
- Mark BondeMinneapolis, MN
- Linda ClaytonMinneapolis, MN
- Carolin DrewitzHamburg, Germany
- Bonnie FreshourHonolulu, HI
- Kaitlin Frick also in 2026 →Minneapolis, MN, and Portland, OR
- Gail GeorgeNew York, NY
- Penni Goode-Evans also in 2026 →Alabama
- Troy Gua also in 2026 →Seattle, WA
- jbayliss also in 2026 →Minneapolis, MN
- Michael HoltzMinneapolis, MN
- Bobby Huntley II also in 2026 →Atlanta, GA
- Jeannine JansegersBornem, Belgium
- Rebecca Langason and Theo Langason also in 2026 →Minneapolis, MN
- Dana LemoineMinneapolis, MN
- Becky MadridBerkeley, CA
- Samantha McCarroll-HyneMinneapolis, MN
- Bon Mott also in 2026 →Melbourne, Australia
- Kevin Nickelson also in 2026 →Minneapolis, MN
- Mary PlasterDuluth, MN
- Milton RaposoBermuda
- Quinn VillagomezMinneapolis, MN
- Erin SayerMinneapolis, MN
- Hawona Sullivan Janzen also in 2026 →Minneapolis, MN
- Jennifer Rae Umolac also in 2026 →Minneapolis and Puerto Rico
- Heidi Vader also in 2026 →Minneapolis, MN
- Una Renee WaltonSan Diego, CA
- Kristen Zschomler also in 2026 →Minneapolis, MN
Creative Team
Graphic design: Carolin Drewitz
Story editor: Kevin Nickelson
Prince-inspired baked delights: Suzanne Wint
DJ: Michael Holtz
Installation photography: Daniel R. Pratt
Installation and events: Jennifer Umolac, David Caufman, Kevin Nickelson, Suzanne Wint
Special Gratitude
These people made the 2018 exhibition possible: Chiara Bernasconi, Jill Boogren, David Caufman, Robert Cohanim, Rebecca Langason, Kevin Nickelson, Kirk Thoren, Georgia Richter, Mike Schardin, Michelle Streitz, Jennifer Umolac, Heidi Vader, Ann Wilson, Suzanne Wint, Kristen Zschomler.
Institutional Support
Prince from Minneapolis Symposium (University of Minnesota)
University of Minnesota College of Liberal Arts, LATIS
Solar Arts Building, Minneapolis (venue host)
Founding research was supported by the University of Melbourne, 2016–2019