Two Dallas seniors are petitioning to save Wyland’s downtown whale mural, which is being covered up for the World Cup. They want a new wall — and new city rules.
DALLAS, Texas — In a city of glass and concrete, a wall of whales once watched over downtown Dallas.
Now it’s nearly gone, and two graduating seniors want to know why no one asked the citizens first.
Katy Rose Cusick and Joshua Hurston, seniors at Booker T. Washington High School, were among the first to notice when crews began covering up the massive mural — a work painted by renowned environmental artist Wyland in 1999 as a gift to the city.
“I could imagine sitting up in one of these city buildings and looking down from my desk at that mural,” Cusick said.
The mural had been a downtown landmark for more than two decades — longer than either student has been alive.
“I started crying when I found out about it,” Cusick said.
The two seniors launched a petition, arguing the mural’s removal is a casualty of World Cup preparations.
The North Texas organizing committee acknowledged the mural’s cultural and historical significance, saying a portion of the original work would remain as a tribute to its lasting impact on the city. But the committee also said it was looking forward to unveiling a new mural that meets the current historical moment and reflects the energy, unity and global spirit of this summer’s World Cup.
For Cusick and Hurston, that’s not enough — even if they know they can’t undo what’s already happened.
“There’s clearly no way of getting back what’s been destroyed now,” Hurston said.
Their petition has gathered more than 400 signatures. They’re calling on World Cup organizers to help Wyland find a new wall and the funds to paint it, and they’re urging City Hall to pass new rules to prevent something like this from happening again.