The Issue
Targets/Decision Makers
North Texas FWC  Organizing Committee (FIFA)
Slate Asset Management (Building Owners)
Dallas City Council & Office of Arts and Culture

A beloved Dallas icon is being destroyed for a temporary event taking place 20 miles away from Downtown Dallas.

Dallas is at a crossroads: Wyland's Whaling Wall #82 at 505 N. Akard Street—an artistic treasure that has graced our city for 27 years—is at risk of destruction. This mural is not just paint on a wall; it is a symbol of Dallas’s creative spirit and community identity.
Whether you’ve glimpsed it from a passing car or admired it up close, this mural is a cultural landmark woven into the fabric of Dallas.

This eight-story-tall mural was fully funded by Wyland and his foundation as a gift to connect our landlocked city to the marine life.

Right now, World Cup organizers (North Texas FWC) and building owners are erasing Wyland’s work—covering it with advertisements for the 2026 World Cup.
 
To make matters worse, the actual World Cup matches aren't even happening in downtown Dallas-they are being played 20 miles away at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
But what’s most troubling is how the organizers carried out this decision.
There was no warning and no public announcement. Knowing Dallas residents would fiercely oppose this, the organizers acted in secrecy. Despite their claims, they did not inform Wyland—the artist himself learned about the mural’s destruction only after most of the damage was done. Now, he is fighting back legally with a cease-and-desist order.
Because they rushed to cover this Dallas Landmark overnight, generations of Dallas residents never even got the chance to go downtown and say a proper goodbye.

This is part of a troubling pattern: Dallas leadership continues to favor short-term profits over lasting public art and the preservation of our history.
The New York Times recently reported that the city is considering demolishing Dallas City Hall for a new sports arena. Over 75% of residents want to preserve our architectural history, but leaders prioritize corporate revenue.

“Is it not cruel to let our city die by degrees, stripped of all her proud monuments, until there will be nothing left of all her history and beauty to inspire our children? If they are not inspired by the past of our city, where will they find the strength to fight for her future?”
-Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis

Though the main wall is already being covered in blue paint, the fight is not over yet.
We can still save the untouched side wall and force these big organizations to make things right.

We urge everyone who cares about Dallas to sign this petition now. We are demanding 3 concrete actions:

1. Stop painting immediately: Preserve the remaining original mural by halting all further work now.
2. Provide restitution: Require World Cup organizers and building owners to fund a new permanent downtown mural site for Wyland.
3. Protect Dallas public art: Demand that the Dallas City Council create rules ensuring no public art is erased without open hearings.

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. Great cities honor their past; they do not erase it.

Sign this petition, share it widely, and join us in standing up for Dallas’s art and history!

Our Main Instagram Campaign is Live! Thank you to the 300+ people who signed our petition in our first 2 days. Please head over to @Joshua.Hurston.Arch on Instagram to save the post, copy our phone scripts, and share the slides to your stories so we can prepare for Tuesday morning's phone blitz!

Tuesday-Thursday 10:30 am-11:30 am Please call these numbers! We're providing a script below

North Texas FWC Organizing Committee (PR & Media Line)
Phone: (985) 778-9896.
"Hi, I am calling to register a complaint regarding the destruction of Wyland's Whaling Wall 82. The committee's current statement about 'leaving a small portion' uncovered is an insult to the art community. The decision to demolish a 27-year-old landmark without even consulting the artist is sparking intense local backlash. I want to know why the committee didn’t use a blank wall elsewhere downtown, and I will be encouraging others to boycott local tournament promotions if this erasure continues."
Dallas City Council District 14 (Paul Ridley's Office)
Phone: (214) 670-5659 or Chief of Staff at 214-670-5415
"Hi, I am a constituent calling Council Member Ridley's office to express my outrage over the destruction of the iconic whale mural at 505 N. Akard. The city should be protecting its culture, not allowing corporate partners to erase it for short-term tourism. I want to know what the Council Member is doing to address this disregard for public art, and I urge him to support strict historic preservation ordinances so private property owners can never destroy landmark murals without a public hearing again."
City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture
Phone: (214) 670-3687 or Director's line at 214-671-2828.
Hi, I am calling to ask why the Office of Arts and Culture completely failed to protect Robert Wyland's 'Ocean Life' mural. This is an internationally recognized piece of conservation art. By letting the World Cup committee paint over it, your office has signaled that Dallas landmarks are disposable. I am demanding that the director publicly address this failure and coordinate with the artist’s foundation to legally halt the destruction." 
Slate Asset Management (Chicago Corporate Office) 
Phone: (312) 847-1480
"Hi, I am calling regarding your property at 505 N. Akard Street in Dallas. Your decision to allow the World Cup committee to paint over the historic Wyland mural has caused massive outrage among local residents. This has created a severe public relations nightmare for your brand in Texas. We do not view your project as a 'revitalization'—we view it as corporate vandalism. I urge your executive team to honor the cease-and-desist issued by the artist's legal team and stop the painting immediately."

Additionally, on Wednesday, May 20th, at 2 PM, the World Cup committee is holding a board meeting at 5956 Sherry Lane, Ground Floor Conference Center, Dallas, Texas 75225, open to the public.
Let's pack the room, and in a quiet, peaceful way, we will powerfully demonstrate that Dallas residents will not stand for the silent erasure of our landmarks!