To be a high school graduate in 1986 in a suburb of Minneapolis was to be steeped in the mystery and mystique of Prince at every turn. He was omnipresent yet elusive in the backrooms and on the stages of the clubs he was elevating to worldwide recognition. It was at that time that I spent a year as an exchange student in Sweden and realized that being from the same hometown as Prince not only told people where I was from, it made me somehow cooler too. And so began a lifetime of travels that connected Prince and me through the love of our shared home, Minneapolis. Through decades of journeys and 47 countries, Prince was the calling card I used to introduce my city to new friends around the world.
When news of Prince’s death reached me at a traditional ceremony in Puerto Rico, I threw my prayers and thanks into the fire for Prince and his life that had shaped and influenced so many. In the following days of prayer and reflection I realized that with his passing, Minneapolis had become a pilgrimage site. Over years of travel I had visited many such sites, and my heart filled with awe to think that now the world would come to our hometown, to honor and celebrate our homegrown musical genius.
My first visit to Paisley Park happened shortly after my return from Puerto Rico and while there, surrounded by stories and artwork thanking and honoring Prince, I felt called to create a shrine, a gathering space within that gathering space, to meet and connect with this global Purple family. Finding a powerful image of Prince was no problem, Insight News had a 2-foot-tall front page that worked perfectly. I added a dramatic travel friendly frame and some candles and voilà… mobile honoring.
In the years that followed, I have joined in many occasions of gathering and commemorating Prince, from visits to Paisley Park, Record Store day at the Electric Fetus, the Xcel Center memorial concert featuring Stevie Wonder, Chase and Ovation at Bunkers, and of course the Revolution shows at First Ave. The Shrine was also proudly activated for the inaugural run of the People's Museum for Prince in 2018. During these occasions, and many more, I have been honored to hear stories and shed tears with the world, all in gratitude for our beloved Prince. I look forward to hearing your Prince story.
