Sacramento has its own “Prince of Hearts” now, thanks to Rachel Cate.
The Leroy Greene Academy artist and teacher spray-painted a massive, eye-catching mural of the musical icon Prince performing, collar open, jamming on an electric guitar inside a larger-than-life playing card on a building at 20th and O streets in midtown.
“It’s my tribute to Prince and all the work he did through the years to provide the playlist to so many lives,” Cate said. Her own Princely favorites include “Housequake,” “Sign ‘O’ The Times” and “The Arms of Orion.”
Cate envisioned her public artwork as a remembrance of Prince honoring the first anniversary of his death. The rock ‘n’ roll Hall of Famer died from an accidental drug overdose on April 21, 2016. He was 57.
Long associated with the color purple, Prince was a flamboyant performer and stylish dresser whose music integrated styles from funk to pop to soul and Rhythm and Blues. His hits included “Purple Rain,” “When Doves Cry,” “Kiss,” Let’s Go Crazy” and “Raspberry Beret.”
Cate, who has taught art, graphic design and photography at LGA, completed an Oak Park mural of her musical hero in April 2017. She put the finishing touches on her midtown Prince of Hearts several months later – in mid-July.
The midtown project took Cate nine to 12 hours a day, for five days, to finish. She used computer programs to design Prince’s image and create stencils that guided her in applying five layers of spray paint, each a different color. She spent about $2,000.
Cate explained to The Sacramento Bee recently how her mural landed at 20th and O streets: Shortly after Prince’s death, she attended a “Princeology” gathering at the Crest Theatre in September 2016. Afterward, she hugged the creator of the fan event, Rhonda Pope Flores, to say thanks. They did not keep in touch.
Months later, Cate decided she wanted to create a Prince mural downtown but was having trouble finding a wall for it. Through social media, she was put in touch with Pope Flores, chairwoman of the Buena Vista Rancheria band of Me-Wuk Indians, whose office is located at 20th and O. Initially, the two women did not remember each other by name. But both are huge Prince fans, both wanted the mural – and the rest is history.
Cate said she has received hundreds and hundreds of positive comments about her midtown mural. Prince fans from nearly everywhere have come to see it. Larger than life, the Prince of Hearts lives on, greeting hordes of passers-by each day.
“It’s just been such an unusual and wonderful blessing that’s come from this,” Cate said, smiling.
