US EditionIan Gaudreau Resumes Iryna Zarutska Mural at Providence Restaurant
The work moved after city and community backlash, and the restaurant’s owners said they identified with Zarutska’s immigrant story.
- Artist Ian Gaudreau returned to work Friday night, resuming his mural of Iryna Zarutska on a new wall in Federal Hill after its removal from The Dark Lady, a downtown LGBTQ+ nightclub.
- The project faced cancellation at The Dark Lady following community backlash over funding sources, including donations from Elon Musk, which some viewed as a political agenda tied to the case.
- Gaudreau stated his work critiques the political flashpoint surrounding Zarutska's death. "He has an immigrant family story himself," Gaudreau said of Co-owner Francois Karam's connection to the project.
- Providence Democrat Mayor Brett Smiley called the mural "DIVISIVE" and "MISGUIDED," while the owners of Lebanese restaurant Opa the Phoenician stepped in to host the relocated tribute.
- Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, was killed in a 2025 North Carolina train attack; the mural's relocation reflects ongoing debates about art, politics, and memorializing tragedy.
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New York Post
Fox NewsArtist fumes after tribute honoring slain Iryna Zarutska gets scrubbed amid woke blowback
The Providence, Rhode Island artist commissioned to paint a mural of slain Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska said he feels his freedom of expression has been curtailed after left-wing backlash to the project caused it to be shut down.
Providence Mayor Calls Iryna Zarutska Mural ‘Divisive’ And ‘Ugly’ As New Tribute Is Prepared
Providence’s Democrat mayor is doubling down on his war against a mural honoring Iryna Zarutska, the Ukrainian refugee brutally murdered last year by a career criminal with a rap sheet full of prior arrests. Even after the original artwork at The Dark Lady nightclub was scrubbed under pressure, a new version is already underway at another spot in the city. Yet Mayor Brett Smiley and local media keep branding the project “divisive” – a transparen…
Artist fumes after tribute honoring slain Iryna Zarutska gets scrubbed amid woke blowback | Fox Wilmington WSFX-TV
close Video Iryna Zarutska mural sparks controversy in Providence, Rhode Island Local Democrats have called for the mural to be removed suggesting it doesn’t align with the city’s ‘values.’ (Credit: WPRI) NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! The Providence, Rhode Island artist commissioned to paint a mural of slain Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska said he feels his freedom of expression has been curtailed after left-wing backlash to th…
‘The murder was divisive!' Republican hits back after US mayor slams Ukrainian refugee mural
A movement is mounting in the US to save a tribute to a murdered Ukrainian refugee after it was "silenced" by left-wing protests.Brett Smiley, the Mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, had labelled the mural to Iryna Zarutska "misguided" and "divisive" just days ago.Ms Zarutska, just 23, fled Ukraine following Vladimir Putin's invasion invasion in 2022 - but was stabbed to death on a train, sparking outrage in America after CCTV footage of her deat…
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