A large-scale mural depicting Prince dominates the side of a brick building, illuminated by a row of rooftop lights that emphasize both the portrait and the texture of the masonry beneath it. The artwork presents Prince with his iconic guitar, referencing his role not only as a performer but as a technically accomplished musician and songwriter whose work reshaped popular music beginning in the late 1970s. The saturated purples, golds, and layered background elements visually echo the imagery and symbolism long associated with his career, particularly the Purple Rain era that cemented his global influence.

Murals like this became an important part of Minneapolis’s visual landscape following Prince’s death in 2016, serving as public memorials that connect the city’s streets to its musical legacy. Painted directly onto brick, the piece blends fine-art portraiture with urban scale, designed to be read from a distance while still holding detail up close. Night lighting transforms the mural into a landmark after dark, reinforcing Prince’s enduring presence in the city where he was born, recorded, and built an independent creative empire that continues to influence artists across genres.

Purple Rain at the State Theatre. "Pre-Broadway Performances Begin October 16".

Located at 26th and Hennepin, the Rock Martinez mural was put up shortly after his death. It's been written elsewhere they originally planned it to be a "get well" mural during a period when he was sick prior to his death.

A mural on a door in Downtown Minneapolis during the annual Prince Celebration event. This year was also the 40th anniversary of Purple Rain.

The annual celebration in Downtown Minneapolis in June 2024. This year was the 40th anniversary of Purple Rain.

Prince mural in downtown Minneapolis near First Avenue.

Purple Rain and Dessa album covers as tabletops in the Moxy Hotel on Lake Street in Uptown Minneapolis.

A board in front of a home that reads “Nobody thought the revolution would start in Minneapolis except Prince”.

A mural on Broadway Avenue in North Minneapolis.

Protesters fill the intersection near the Target Center in downtown Minneapolis during Donald Trump’s campaign rally on October 10, 2019. Demonstrators carried homemade signs, including one reading “This is Purple Rain Country—Take Your Golden Showers Back to Russia,” referencing Minnesota’s musical icon Prince and the controversies surrounding Trump’s presidency. The rally drew thousands of protesters and supporters alike, marking one of the city’s largest political demonstrations since the 2016 election.

Prince's Paisley Park in Chanhassen, Minnesota.

7 Years ago today Prince died and the international media descended upon Paisley Park. Today MN lawmakers will discuss a bill that would rename Highway 5 from Mitchell Road in Eden Prairie to Hazeltine Blvd in Chanhassen to Prince Rogers Nelson Memorial Highway. (April 22, 2016)

Crowds gather outside of First Avenue in downtown Minneapolis on the evening of Prince's death.