Dallas Paints Over 30-Year-Old Whale Mural for 9 World Cup Matches, Sparking Outcry
Updated
Updated · ESPN · May 19
Dallas Paints Over 30-Year-Old Whale Mural for 9 World Cup Matches, Sparking Outcry
6 articles · Updated · ESPN · May 19
Hundreds of people have signed a petition after Dallas painted over Wyland's nearly 30-year-old downtown whale mural to install World Cup-themed art ahead of 2026 matches.
The organizing committee said the new work will reflect the tournament's "energy, unity, and global spirit," while preserving a portion of the original mural as a tribute.
Wyland said the mural's erasure happened without dialogue and called it a blow to public art and his ocean-conservation mission; two local high school seniors launched the petition.
Dallas, set to host 9 matches at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, is staging more World Cup games than any other host city in the U.S.-Canada-Mexico tournament.
With a $15M mural gone for the World Cup, can a federal law protect public art from event hype?
As Dallas paints over a landmark for the World Cup, is it sacrificing its artistic soul for global fame?