An outcry erupts as a whale mural beloved by many in Dallas is replaced
with art for the World Cup
[May 20, 2026]
By JAMIE STENGLE
DALLAS (AP) — As Dallas pulls out the stops for the World Cup this
summer, one makeover is causing an uproar: the sudden disappearance of a
beloved, giant mural downtown of swimming whales.
“I see that mural almost every day on my way to school and then one day
they were painting it over,” Katy Rose Cusick said. “And it was just so
incredibly shocking to me that that could happen so quickly.”
Work has been underway this month to paint over the mural that's graced
two entire walls of a parking garage for nearly 30 years to make way for
art related to the upcoming World Cup matches. Wyland, the artist who
created the mural, said in a statement that its destruction has left him
“deeply disheartened.”
“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,”
Wyland said.
Cusick and Joshua Hurston, seniors at a local performing and visual arts
high school, started a Change.org petition hoping to raise awareness to
protect history and art. The petition has gotten hundreds of signatures
so far, including from those with fond memories of spotting the mural as
children.
“If we couldn’t save necessarily the mural, making sure that something
like this doesn’t happen again,” he said.
A spokesperson for the area’s World Cup organizing committee said in a
statement they were looking forward to “unveiling a new piece that
captures this current historical moment and reflects the energy, unity,
and global spirit surrounding the World Cup 2026,” adding that a
“portion” of Wyland’s mural will be preserved “as a tribute to its
lasting impact on the city.”
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A mural, known as the "Whaling Wall 82," created by artist Wyland,
is partially visible as it is painted over, Monday, May 18, 2026, in
Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Dallas is hosting more World Cup matches than any of the other sites
in the event co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico, with nine
matches set to be played at AT&T Stadium in suburban Arlington, home
of the Dallas Cowboys. The retractable roof venue will be called
Dallas Stadium for the World Cup.
Downtown Dallas Inc. said in a statement that it was part of the
early discussions about the mural and confirmed it wasn't part of
the city's public art collection before introducing the World Cup
organizing committee to the building's owners. A spokesperson for
the building's owners, Slate Asset Management, said they were
approached by Downtown Dallas Inc. and the organizing 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 murals known as Whaling Walls around
the world as part his mission for the conservation of ocean life.
“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 said.
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