Artist Ian Gaudreau is painting a new, smaller mural of Iryna Zarutska on the side of Opa Restaurant (Opa The Phoenician) on Atwells Avenue in Providence’s Federal Hill.
Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, was stabbed to death on a North Carolina commuter train last summer (2025). The mural is part of a national campaign backed by Intercom CEO Eoghan McCabe and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
The original larger mural on Snow Street at The Dark Lady nightclub was halted due to backlash. The venue announced it would remove the unfinished artwork after “reflecting and learning.”Providence Mayor Brett Smiley called the project “misguided” and “divisive,” saying it does not represent the city, but noted the city would not intervene heavily as it is on private property.
Opa owner Francois Karam, an immigrant, supports the mural because she was once an immigrant chasing the American dream. This mural is a way of honoring her on a building owned by an immigrant family who understands that journey.
Federal Hill Commerce Association President Rick Simone said the group takes no side and is asking everyone to respect the creativity of the artist and the choice of the property owner.
The original unfinished mural at The Dark Lady remains for now with no set removal timeline.