What do you want to see in place of the whale mural?

The whales are gone. So is the World Cup. An ocean of paint is all that remains.

One of downtown Dallas’ most recognizable walls, a detailed scene called “Whaling Wall 82” and “Ocean Life,” by artist Robert Wyland, was reduced to an interim layer of blue in May. The mural was painted over as Dallas prepared to be a host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Organizers said the wall would host a FIFA World Cup Mural.

But now, with the World Cup’s final match in Arlington just a memory, the replacement has yet to appear. City officials have not said when, or even whether, a new mural will be painted on the wall, leaving the downtown landmark an expanse of blue. 

Slate Asset Management, which owns the building that held the mural, said there is “nothing to share as of right now” about what’s next.

Paul E. Ridley, the city council member in charge of District 14 where the mural is, did not respond to requests for comment via email about what will come next for the mural. 

The 82-foot-tall mural at 505 N. Akard St. was given to the city by Wyland in 1999. It was one of a series of murals across the country created as a reminder about the importance of protecting the natural world and the beauty of marine life, according to Wyland’s website. 

The plan for a new mural faced stiff backlash and gained national attention.

Texas-born singer Kacey Musgraves posted on Instagram, “This makes me really sad. We suck the soul out of everything.”

“Dallas is more than a backdrop for sports events — we are a city with a rich history, vibrant art, and a unique soul worth fighting for,” the petition reads. “Great cities honor their past; they do not erase it.”

In a lawsuit filed last month, Wyland is seeking at least $25 million in damages, alleging that the mural’s destruction violates the federal Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990, which prevents the “destruction, distortion, mutilation or other modification” of an artist’s work. No hearings have been set yet. 

Wyland said previously he was unaware FIFA was painting over the artwork until a downtown resident reached out to his assistant.

FIFA North Texas Organizing Committee Director of PR and Communications Joe Trahan said they have no comment on the whale mural and its pending lawsuit. 

Downtown Dallas Inc. Vice President of Marketing and Communications Monica Gonzalez declined to comment on the mural.