ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – It was more than two weeks ago when a new mural was added to the artwork in Abilene. An artist was commissioned to paint a scene depicting Charlie Kirk and a multitude of other causes, but now the concept is causing some controversy, and the public is speaking out on social media.
33‑hour drive for a mural: Artist paints Charlie Kirk tribute in Abilene
Muralist Jennifer Lofton said she was asked to make the trip from her home in Montana to Abilene to paint the mural by a Facebook page titled ‘Abilene Penny Press.’ Not knowing the values Kirk stood for, she researched him, found ideas she aligned with, and agreed to do the mural.
“I looked him up, saw just like a few videos of his… He was talking about Jesus and wanted to spread his faith and stuff like that. So, I wanted to paint him,” Lofton explained.
The mural was also set to shed light on other tragedies, which would later cause disagreement among the community.
“The other tragedies that were represented, like the flood victims, the domestic violence, suicide victims. So, whenever we were going to put all of them on there, I just thought that we were bringing awareness with a Charlie Kirk painting,” Lofton said.
The mural also included a depiction of children representing the lives lost in the 2022 Uvalde shooting, which some families did not agree with.
“I did not know that some of the Uvalde parents not only didn’t like him but spoke out publicly about him multiple times,” Lofton explained. “I didn’t know the Uvalde part of it was going to cause such a big issue, and when some of those parents were upset about it, I just offered to fix it, either to change the kids or to move Kirk to another wall.”
Abilene business commissions murals for Charlie Kirk & Iryna Zarutska
During the planning phase of the mural, Lofton claimed she would be given donations collected in the community by Cynthia Alvidrez with the Abilene Penny Press Facebook page upon arrival. Although she received donated supplies, she said she did not receive the funds.
“[Alvidrez] said that there would definitely be donations and contributions. I think she called them in-kind contributions, basically like a grant for painting it,” Lofton explained. “Whenever I got there, she posted on her page, like asking for donations and asking for supplies. That’s whenever I realized that a lot of people didn’t even want the Charlie Kirk painted in Abilene.”
Although the mural has seen backlash online, some residents, like Leia Williams, said she still sees the intended message behind it.
“I think people want to give it a little bit more power than what it is and maybe make it their own narrative. But with me, the way I see it is honoring a man’s life, and there’s nothing wrong with that,” Williams said. “I felt like it was a good thing. I think that even though the situation was a very tragic thing, it’s nice to see a community coming together, honoring someone’s life.”
The mural is set to stay up, according to the business owner, but changes could be made. Alvidrez did not wish to comment on the matter.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB – BigCountryHomepage.com.
Charlie Kirk, Jennifer Lofton, Penny Press
#Abilene #mural #depicting #Charlie #Kirk #controversy #Artist #speaks