Dallas’s preparations to host the World Cup this summer have sparked an outcry following the sudden disappearance of a beloved, giant mural of swimming whales in the city centre.
The artwork, a familiar sight to many, has been painted over to make way for new art related to the upcoming football tournament.
Katy Rose Cusick, a local student, expressed her shock at the swift removal. “I see that mural almost every day on my way to school and then one day they were painting it over,” she said. “And it was so incredibly shocking to me that that could happen so quickly.”
Work has been underway this month to paint over the mural, which had adorned two walls of a parking garage for nearly 30 years. Wyland, the artist behind the piece, stated he was “deeply disheartened” by its destruction.
“When a piece that has carried meaning for generations can be erased without dialogue, it raises serious questions about how we value public art, artists, and the communities these works were created to serve,” he added.
Ms Cusick and Joshua Hurston, both seniors at a local performing and visual arts high school, have launched a Change.org petition to raise awareness and advocate for the protection of public art and history.
The petition has garnered hundreds of signatures, including from individuals who recall seeing the mural during their childhoods. Mr Hurston emphasised their goal: “If we couldn’t save necessarily the mural, making sure that something like this doesn’t happen again.”
A spokesperson for the area’s World Cup organising committee confirmed plans to unveil “a new piece that captures this current historical moment and reflects the energy, unity, and global spirit surrounding the World Cup 2026.”
They also noted that a “portion” of Wyland’s mural would be preserved “as a tribute to its lasting impact on the city.”
Dallas is set to host more World Cup matches than any other location in the event, which is co-hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico. Nine matches are scheduled to be played at AT&T Stadium in the suburban city of Arlington, home of the Dallas Cowboys, which will be known as Dallas Stadium for the tournament.
Downtown Dallas Inc. confirmed its involvement in early discussions, stating the mural was not part of the city’s public art collection before connecting the World Cup organising committee with the building’s owners.
Slate Asset Management, the building owners, stated they were approached by Downtown Dallas Inc. and the organising committee earlier this year about donating the wall for a new public art installation by a local artist.
The mural, titled “Whaling Wall 82,” was dedicated in 1999. Wyland has painted over 100 similar “Whaling Walls” globally as part of his mission for ocean life conservation. “This was more than paint on a wall — it was part of my work, alongside the Wyland Foundation, to bring people together to protect our oceans and clean water,” he concluded.
