An attorney dispatched a to stop 鈥渇urther destruction鈥� of a mural celebrating ocean life and conservation in downtown Dallas.
The eight-story-tall mural was painted over to create a fresh slate for a new mural celebrating the FIFA World Cup 2026, which kicks off in less than a month.
鈥淚 like American football and I like soccer too, but this is unacceptable,鈥� Wyland, , said. 鈥淵ou can't come into any community and disrespect the artists and the art and the history.鈥�
The declined an interview.
In a statement, the committee said it recognizes 鈥渢he cultural and historical significance鈥� of the mural and is committed to preserving a portion of it. The statement also noted that the new mural was meant to capture 鈥淭he energy, unity and global spirit surrounding the World Cup 2026 this summer.鈥�
The City of Dallas said it issued a permit to close the sidewalk, but directed all questions about the mural to the local World Cup organizing committee.
A spokesperson for Slate Asset Management, which owns the building at 505 N. Akard St., said they were asked to donate the wall and were told that Wyland had been contacted.
A controversial 鈥渂luewashing鈥�
Wyland doesn鈥檛 live in Dallas, but several fans of his work do. He said he didn鈥檛 know his work was being painted over until one of those fans reached out.
鈥淎s soon as I saw that picture, I mean, it was too late,鈥� Wyland said. 鈥淵ou know how they say 鈥榳hitewashed?鈥� They bluewashed it, and they had it over halfway destroyed.鈥�
Wyland donated the piece called 鈥淥cean Life鈥� to the city. It was one of 103 murals he painted around the world during a to promote conservation.
One small corner at the top of the eight-story oceanlife mural remains untouched, as does the portion of the mural that wraps around to a smaller face of the building.
Before long the photos blew up on social media. Kacey Musgraves, the country star from North Texas, . 鈥淭his makes me really sad. We suck the soul out of everything,鈥� she wrote in an Instagram story.
A pair of high school seniors to protect the work, and from news outlets followed.
Touching a tender nerve
Losing the mural touched nerves that were already tender: Dallas is months into a debate about whether to preserve its I.M. Pei-designed city hall building or to demolish it and redevelop the high-value land where it鈥檚 built.
The city of Dallas is home to the International Broadcast Center for the World Cup, practice facilities and a . However, the matches will be played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, and tickets are out of reach for .
Carlos Donjuan is an assistant professor of art and art history at the University of Texas at Arlington. He is also a member of the renowned graffiti crew.
鈥淚 think people just want to feel like they belong. People wanna feel people care about them,鈥� he said. 鈥淪ometimes something just as simple as a mural can bring value to the community, and it gives people a sense of pride, a little bit of beautification for the neighborhood.鈥�
The legal picture
Wyland and his attorney, Nick Roide of , believe the covering of the mural violates the Visual Artists Rights Act. The 1990 law established protections for the authorship and integrity of an artist鈥檚 work.
鈥淚t basically is a recognition of the relationship between the artist and the artist鈥檚 creation, right? They're putting their passion into the work,鈥� Roide told 四虎影院. 鈥淪o what that prevents is intentional distortion, mutilation or other modification of the work that would essentially hurt the artist's honor or reputation.鈥�
Property owners have rights too, and there is a legal pathway for removing a mural, Roide said. In the cease-and-desist letter, he outlined how that process wasn鈥檛 followed.
鈥淲hen artwork is incorporated into a building in such a way that removing it would cause its destruction, the property owner has a clear legal obligation: obtain a written waiver from the artist before taking any action. That obligation was ignored entirely.鈥�
It鈥檚 unclear whether the new mural will move forward. Roide said on Thursday that he was waiting for a response to his letter.
鈥淚'm just one artist, but I'm not scared of them,鈥� Wyland said.
He sees this as an opportunity to assert the rights of visual artists across the country, and he says he won鈥檛 back down.
Got a tip? Email Marcheta Fornoff at mfornoff@kera.org.
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