Emma Balázs is an Australian curator and filmmaker who founded The People's Museum for Prince after witnessing the profound community response to Prince's death in 2016. With a PhD in Curatorial and Museum Studies from the University of Melbourne and a Masters from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, she brings two decades of experience across leading international art institutions in Australia, the US, and Singapore. Her "counter museum" approach prioritizes community voices over institutional narratives, creating collective portraits through personal stories, artwork, and objects. The 2018 People's Museum for Prince prototype attracted over 3,000 visitors during Minneapolis's Art-A-Whirl weekend, demonstrating the hunger for accessible, inclusive cultural experiences that center community memory. The 2026 iteration, commemorating ten years since Prince's passing, expands this vision through an open call for stories and artwork from Prince's global community. Emma's work has gained recognition through presentations at University of Minnesota Prince symposiums, MoPop Seattle, and a forthcoming chapter in "Blackstar Rising and The Purple Reign" (Duke University Press), edited by Yale Prince scholar Daphne Brooks. Originally trained as a filmmaker at Victorian College of the Arts, Emma recently completed digital storytelling training with StoryCenter founder Joe Lambert, integrating multimedia storytelling to connect Prince storytellers and audiences everywhere.

Hawona Sullivan Janzen is a Twin Cities-based curator, artist, and writer who believes that art is the only thing that can save us from ourselves. A historian by training and a Prince fan since adolescence, she has curated numerous Prince-themed exhibitions including "Where Purple Reigns: Minnesota Artists on Prince," "Minnesota Poets on Prince," and "Like a Prince: Crafting Love Poems That Stand the Test of Time" at the University of Minnesota's Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center (UROC). Her multidisciplinary practice spans roles as gallery curator, coordinator of the Literary Witnesses poetry series, and improvisational jazz singer with the Sonoglyph Collective. With deep Minnesota cultural networks and extensive public art experience—including the award-winning Dale Street Bridge Project—she brings essential community connections and cultural knowledge to collaborative projects. She is currently mentoring twelve Minnesota artists in the Minnesota Parks Artist in Residence program while working on the Rondo Family Reunion public art installation.

Peyton Scott Russell and Roberts Gallery are hosting the People's Museum in June 2026. Peyton is a renowned Minneapolis graffiti artist, educator, and community builder whose work has shaped some of the most powerful visual symbols of recent decades. Working under the moniker Daskarone, Russell founded Juxtaposition Arts in 1995, the first arts organization in Minneapolis to interweave graffiti with fine arts instruction. He currently leads SPRAYFiNGER®, an arts organization dedicated to graffiti arts education, working to increase awareness and deepen understanding of graffiti as a teachable fine art. Peyton’s iconic portrait of George Floyd, "Icon of a Revolution #1," became a defining symbol of the movement for racial justice. His connection to Prince runs deep—in the 1990s, his work was featured at Prince's Glam Slam nightclub, and he later worked as a scenic artist at Paisley Park. Following Prince's death, Peyton transformed Prince's First Avenue star using precious gold leaf, creating the now-iconic gold star that has been replicated in murals across Europe and become a symbol of Minneapolis' celebration of Prince's legacy. In 2025, Peyton purchased Homewood Studios from his former high school teacher and mentor George Roberts, who had run the North Minneapolis community arts space for over 30 years. Peyton has renamed it to Roberts Gallery to continue the legacy George and Bev Roberts created. Peyton is honored to host The People's Museum for Prince in June 2026, bringing Prince's legacy home to the artist's childhood neighborhood.

Jennifer Umolac is Project Manager for the People's Museum. Bio coming soon! Picture: Jen and Chilli at Paisley Park August 2016, with Jen's portable shrine. Read her story on link below.