A recently installed mural commissioned by Main Street Apopka has been removed following accusations of plagiarism. The original artwork, painted by Ridge Bonnick on a wall at the Domino’s Pizza downtown, closely resembled a mural created in 2017 by an artist in Iowa. After the uncanny likeness was brought up on social media, Main Street Apopka added the Iowa artist’s name to the mural and entered into discussions about credit and compensation. However, the mural itself has since been taken down.
Apopka Main Street declined to provide a comment for this report. The nonprofit, which follows the Main Street America model, operates without paid staff and is managed by a volunteer board and committees. According to 2023 tax filings, the group reported no employees and just over $2,000 in revenue.
The City of Apopka issued a statement clarifying its lack of involvement, affirming that “no city officials or staff had any involvement in the selection of the art or artist, nor the commissioning of the downtown mural.”
At this time, the City Administrator’s office is reviewing the matter with Main Street Apopka to determine whether any action regarding the $12,500 funding agreement needs to be taken.
An employee at Domino’s Pizza shared that they were unsure what the next steps for the wall would be and if they would be getting a mural there in the near future.
A representative of the National Main Street Office shared the following quote in regards to the situation and their standing with their organization.
“Local programs within the Main Street America Network, like Main Street Apopka, are independent organizations with their own governance structures. There is a membership relationship between us at Main Street America and local organizations, but that relationship does not make us their parent organization or give us jurisdiction over their operations, staffing, programs, etc.”
