Eoghan McCabe, co-founder of Intercom, is offering $10,000 grants to 50 artists to paint murals featuring the face of Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee tragically murdered in August aboard a light rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina.
McCabe announced the grants via social media, calling for artists to depict Zarutska’s face in prominent U.S. city locations—aiming to memorialize her and counteract what he viewed as insufficient media coverage.
? WOW! Artists are now being offered $10,000 to paint murals of Iryna Zarutska's face prominently in US cities by Eoghan McCabe – totaling $500,000.
This is a great idea. Put them up everywhere!
The left promotes animals like George Floyd. Time to counterbalance all of it. pic.twitter.com/BnUN1tr9ZM
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) September 10, 2025
The initiative sparked online reactions from supporters and critics.
Supporters praised it as a meaningful tribute, while some users politicized the effort, suggesting it should replace murals of figures like George Floyd as a reminder of innocent victims of crime.
Reports also noted that Elon Musk offered up to $1 million toward creating similar murals across major U.S. cities in Zarutska’s honor, emphasizing broader concerns about public safety in urban areas as President Donald Trump focuses on reducing crime rates around the country.
