As Dallas prepares to host World Cup matches this summer, a makeover downtown has sparked an outcry over what people say was a sudden decision to erase long-standing public art. The mural—depicting swimming whales and originally created by artist Wyland—has been painted over to make way for World Cup-related artwork, according to statements cited in the reporting.
Katy Rose Cusick described how she noticed the change in a way that left her stunned. She said she sees the mural nearly every day on her way to school and then “one day they were painting it over,” adding that the quick pace of replacement was “just so incredibly shocking” to her.
Work to cover the mural had been underway during the month, replacing a large installation that for nearly 30 years graced two walls of a parking garage downtown. The mural was created by Wyland, and Wyland said in a statement that its destruction has left him “deeply disheartened.”
Wyland also questioned whether the approach reflects how the city values public art. In his statement, he said that when a work “that has carried meaning for generations can be erased without dialogue,” it raises “serious questions” about how public art, artists, and the communities that those works are created to serve are treated.
Cusick and Joshua Hurston, students at a local performing and visual arts high school, launched a Change.org petition to raise awareness and seek protection for the mural and the history it represents. The petition has drawn hundreds of signatures, including from people who said they have fond memories of spotting the whales as children.
Hurston said the goal was not only to try to save the mural itself, but also to make sure a similar situation does not happen again. He said that if it could not be saved “necessarily the mural,” then the campaign would focus on ensuring “something like this doesn’t happen again.”
A spokesperson for the World Cup organizing committee said the group is looking forward to unveiling new art connected to the tournament. In a statement, the spokesperson said it is “unveiling a new piece” intended to capture the “energy, unity, and global spirit” around World Cup 2026, while also adding that a “portion” of Wyland’s mural would be preserved as a “tribute” to its “lasting impact on the city.”
Downtown Dallas Inc. said in its own statement that it was involved in early discussions about the mural and that it confirmed the work was not part of the city’s public art collection. The group said it introduced the World Cup organizing committee to the building’s owners, Slate Asset Management, after the discussions began earlier this year.
The mural, titled “Whaling Wall 82,” was dedicated in 1999, and Wyland’s broader “Whaling Walls” project spans more than 100 similar murals around the world. Wyland has described the work as part of a mission to support ocean conservation, and he said in his statement that this particular piece was more than paint—linking it to his efforts, alongside the Wyland Foundation, to bring people together to protect oceans and clean water.