I went to the Prince block party after work on Thursday night to check out the unveiling of his mural by the artist Hiero Veiga. I had been watching it come to life these last few weeks and I was curious to see how it turned out since the weather here has been questionable these last few days. Lots of rain and wind. The mural is about 100 feet tall on a wall near Ramp A by on the southwest corner of First Avenue and Eighth Street.

It’s big. It’s impressive that one guy painted it (he had one assistant running the boom lift, maybe that person painted too(?)). But especially because it was rendered naturalistically, and being that the model is Prince, there is little room for error. If elements don’t look spot on it can be distracting. But the painting is solid.

Afro Prince at the bottom is very detailed but as you move up you can see the painting become more generalized. - the top figure is lacking detail and the guitar and hand aren’t done. I guess Mr Veiga needs another week or so to complete the painting so I’ll stop by again next week to see how it’s going. Regardless of its current state, it’s still pretty awesome.

Dr. Mambos Combo was the band that was playing when I arrived at the block party. They were a decent cover band and they played a lot of Prince’s hit songs. Then the MC introduced Prince’s sisters to the audience and they each gave a speech about the artist and his legacy.

Next up was Joan Vorderbruggen and Sharon Smith-Akinsanya, project leaders for the mural, and they talked about how the project came to fruition. They introduced the muralist Hiero Veiga, who I was hoping would talk about his process, but he just came out and waved. I guess he didn’t feel like talking. 🤷🏽‍♂️

They did a countdown and then the mural was lit up with lights as DJ Mickey Breeze played Prince’s Purple Rain. Music continued for another hour or so and then that was it. I wanted to buy a shirt or something but there was nothing available, only food-truck food. Oh well, maybe next time.

It was a nice event and I hope this artwork inspires people for years to come… I know I am.