Downtown Apopka mural painted over amid controversy over alleged similarities

APOPKA, Fla. – A mural in downtown Apopka, criticized for bearing a striking resemblance to another artist’s work, was entirely painted over on Monday morning.

News 6 was present at the intersection of Central Avenue and Main Street, close to the Domino’s Pizza, where workers obscured the mural originally presented on Aug. 22 as a part of the Main Street Apopka Downtown mural initiative. By late morning, the design was completely covered with fresh paint.

This action followed public criticism and an online backlash after an Iowa artist pointed out resemblances between the Apopka mural and her own piece from 2017.

[VIDEO: Apopka mural draws backlash over resemblance to another artist’s work]

The Apopka artist behind the mural, known as Ridge, mentioned to the press that he drew from inspiration given to him. He was unavailable for comment on site, as his Instagram suggested he was working on another painting at an undisclosed location.

As the dispute intensified, Apopka’s Main Street Program faced heightened scrutiny. In a statement to News 6, the City of Apopka clarified that the program was intended “…to foster revitalization and economic advancement of downtown…” and stressed that “no City of Apopka staff or officials were involved in the art or artist selection.” The statement added the city plans to assess the situation with Main Street Apopka.

With the mural removed, downtown residents and business owners now await the results of the review and any future steps from the city or Main Street organizers.