A mural on The Dark Lady in Providence has ignited fierce debate — and many residents agree with Mayor Brett Smiley: it is not "Providence's best face."

Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, was killed on August 22, 2025, in a stabbing attack while riding the Lynx Blue Line train in Charlotte, North Carolina.  This mural was created in her honor. 

Public art speaks for a community. When a mural appears on a prominent building in our neighborhood, it becomes a statement about who we are. This one was placed without community input, and it does not reflect our values.

We are not asking for Iryna Zarutska's story to be forgotten. We are asking that art displayed on public-facing private property meet a standard our whole community can stand behind.

Providence has a proud tradition of public art that unites us. This mural divides us.

We call on The Dark Lady, Mayor Brett Smiley, and the Providence City Council to remove the mural and establish a transparent community process for public-facing art on private property going forward.