DALLAS (AP) — As Dallas raises its stops; world cup This summer, a transformation is causing a stir. A huge mural of a popular whale swimming downtown suddenly disappeared.
“I saw that mural almost every day on my way to school, and one day they were painting it over,” Katie Rose Cusick said. “And it was incredibly shocking to me that it happened so quickly.”
Work is underway this month to paint the murals that have adorned two entire walls of the car park for nearly 30 years, to make way for art related to the upcoming World Cup match. Wyland, the artist who created the mural, said in a statement that he was “deeply disappointed” that the mural had been vandalized.
“The erasure, without dialogue, of works that have conveyed meaning for generations 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 in hopes of raising awareness to preserve history and the arts. The petition has so far gathered hundreds of signatures, including people who have fond memories of seeing the mural as children.
“Even if we couldn’t necessarily save the mural to make sure something like this never happens again,” he said.
A spokesperson for the region’s World Cup organizing committee said in a statement that it was looking forward to “unveiling new works that capture this historic moment and reflect the energy, unity and global spirit surrounding the 2026 World Cup,” adding that “portions” of Wyland’s mural will be preserved “as a tribute to its lasting impact on the city.”
hosted by dallas The event, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, will host more World Cup games than any other venue, with nine games scheduled to be played at AT&T Stadium outside Arlington, home of the Dallas Cowboys. of Venue with retractable roof During the World Cup, it will be known as Dallas Stadium.
Downtown Dallas Inc. said in a statement that this was part of early discussions about the mural, and that the World Cup organizing committee confirmed it was not part of the city’s public art collection before presenting it to the building’s owners. A spokesperson for Slate Asset Management, the building’s owner, said it was approached by Downtown Dallas Inc. and the organizing committee earlier this year about donating the wall for a new public art installation by local artists.
The mural, titled “Whaling Wall 82,” was dedicated in 1999. Wyland has painted more than 100 similar murals known as “Whaling Walls” around the world as part of his mission to protect marine life.
“This is more than just painting a wall. It was part of my work with the Wyland Foundation to bring people together to protect our oceans and clean water,” he said.
