Elon Musk-linked mural at Rhode Island gay bar sparks backlash

A mural honoring a slain Ukrainian refugee at a Rhode Island gay bar has been halted after revelations that it is part of a controversial national campaign reportedly backed by Elon Musk, prompting objections from Providence’s out mayor and sparking backlash within the LGBTQ+ community.

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Providence Mayor Brett Smiley’s office told a local NBC affiliate, WJAR, that he wants the building-sized painting of Iryna Zarutska — a Ukrainian stabbed to death on a Charlotte, North Carolina light rail train last year — to be removed. Artist Ian Gaudreau had largely completed the mural painted on the side of the gay bar The Dark Lady before the owners called for the project to be abruptly stopped last week amid growing controversy.

What began as a memorial has quickly turned into a political lightning rod.

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Zarutska’s murder became a rallying cry for national conservatives, with President Donald Trump even spotlighting the crime during his State of the Union address. He pointed to the incident to criticize Democrats on crime policies; suspect Decarlos Brown has been arrested multiple times before, including for a murder (though Trump also wrongly said Brown, a Charlotte native, was an undocumented immigrant).

Gaudrau said the mural, in his eyes, stood as a chance to depoliticize Zarutska’s death.

“As the artist, I’m very saddened to hear that the mayor is calling for the artwork to be removed before I was allowed to finish speaking. I would like everyone to know that the artwork is meant to combat the idea of it being used for a political agenda. I want the mural to humanize Iryna,” Gaudrau said.

But the controversy arose because the painting was part of a national campaign backed by a $1 million donation from Musk. The plan is to create murals of Zarutska in cities across the United States. Intercom CEO Eoghan McCabe, a Trump donor and supporter, announced the effort in an X post last year, when he also pledged $500,000.

“I am offering $500k in $10k grants to paint murals of the face of Iryna Zarutska in prominent U.S. city locations,” McCabe wrote.

Local outrage over the motivations behind the mural campaign prompted bar owners to pause the project. City officials previously told NBC the art project had not been properly authorized.

“The mural currently being installed at 19 Snow St. has not been commissioned or funded by the City of Providence. At this time, neither the property owner or the artist has registered the work with the City,” read an email to the WJAR.

The Dark Lady owners issued a statement to local media last week on the decision to stop the mural’s production.

“This specific mural was created for our community to honor Iryna’s memory, mental wellness, LGBTQIA+ rights, immigration, the war, unity, and anti-Trump policies. The project is temporarily paused,” reads a statement from bar owners Randy and Buck.

“We will be releasing the final rendering of the project to the public for the TRUE meaning to be understood. We’re sorry for the chaos this has caused. We are progressive Democrats, we do not support Donald Trump or politics of division, and our values are deeply rooted in inclusion, equality, and respect.”

The bar issued another statement on the matter last week, available on Reddit.

“We are sincerely apologetic for the chaos and division this has brought to our community. Any of you who know us personally-even for just five minutes— realize that the illicit intentions being portrayed here are completely false. For decades, we have supported, protected, and served this community. That hasn't changed-and it won't. Our record speaks for itself,” the owners wrote.

“The mural on our building was created for one reason: remembrance. It honors Iryna— a life taken too soon, as so many others have. It was never intended to be political. The narrative being created about this is wrong, and it is deeply disappointing and concerning to see a memorial misunderstood, judged, and turned into something divisive,” the statement continued.