Crews have begun painting over one of downtown Dallas\u2019 most recognizable public artworks to make way for a new mural tied to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, prompting disappointment from residents and the artist who created the original piece.<\/p>\n
The mural, officially titled Ocean Life, spans<\/a> two sides of a building at 505 N. Akard St. and measures roughly 164 feet long and 82 feet high. Marine artist and conservationist Robert Wyland painted the work in 1999 as part of his nationwide \u201cWhaling Walls\u201d project aimed at promoting ocean conservation awareness.<\/p>\n The Dallas mural was the 82nd installation in Wyland\u2019s series of 100 large-scale murals created across the country through the Wyland Foundation.<\/a><\/p>\n Residents and downtown workers who visited the site this week described the mural as a longtime fixture of the city\u2019s landscape.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was something beautiful in the middle of a concrete jungle,\u201d said<\/a> Ray Hostetler, who said he often passed the mural while walking to the Katy Trail, per NBC 5 DFW.<\/p>\n Others said they were surprised to see blue paint covering portions of the artwork.<\/p>\n \u201cI was a little disappointed to see just blue paint going up,\u201d Wally Waites, who works nearby, told NBC 5. \u201cI hope that there is something spectacular planned in its place.\u201d<\/p>\n Photographer Mark Levine, who said he had documented the mural for years, called the loss significant.<\/p>\n \u201cNo matter what they put up, something is lost that\u2019s just never coming back again,\u201d Levine said, per NBC 5.<\/p>\n Wyland told<\/a> Fox 4 KDFW that he was \u201cblindsided\u201d by the decision and said he was not personally consulted before work began. He said Ocean Life was among his favorite murals and held special meaning to him.<\/p>\n For years, much of the mural had been obscured by large outdoor advertisements that were later removed during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing the artwork to become fully visible again.<\/p>\n With the Dallas mural now covered, the only remaining<\/a> Whaling Wall in Texas is the Orcas off the Gulf of Mexico on South Padre Island, unveiled in 1994.<\/p>\n Officials said the new artwork will celebrate Dallas\u2019 role as a host city partner for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.<\/p>\n A spokesperson for the North Texas FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee said the project is being completed<\/a> in partnership with Slate Asset Management, which owns the building.<\/p>\n The organization said it \u201crecognize[s] the cultural and historical significance of Robert Wyland\u2019s Whaling Wall 82\u201d and added that \u201ca portion of the original mural will remain preserved as a tribute to its lasting impact on the city,\u201d NBC 5 reported.<\/p>\n The statement also said organizers look forward to unveiling \u201ca new piece that captures this current historical moment and reflects the energy, unity, and global spirit surrounding the World Cup 2026 this summer.\u201d<\/p>\n Officials said additional details about the mural are expected next week.<\/p>\n Reaction online has also been critical, with some Dallas residents describing the whales as an iconic part of the city\u2019s identity.<\/p>\n \u201cThose whales are iconic,\u201d one commenter wrote<\/a>, per Fox 4. \u201cThey\u2019ve been around for as long as I could remember!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBooooo,\u201d another wrote. \u201cBring back the whales.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Wyland Whale wall, completed in \u201999 in downtown Dallas, is being painted over for a FIFA ad. The ghouls who are destroying this city should be tarred and feathered,\u201d commented<\/a> X user Joel Montfort.<\/p>\n