With all the new murals here something to remember
Posted by Basic-Intention-7574@reddit | Dallas | View on Reddit | 179 comments
Posted by Basic-Intention-7574@reddit | Dallas | View on Reddit | 179 comments
Few-Sir-8688@reddit
The City of Dallas doesn't give a high holy fuck what the tax payers think or want. Time and again they prove that YOU DONT MATTER. Your voice doesn't matter. Your well being doesn't matter. This city is not for you, you just live in it.
surprised-duncan@reddit
So fucking glad I left
lurkerlurking123@reddit
our mayor, our attorney general, our governor, they all are some of the worst people on the entire planet.
Jackfruit_911@reddit
Here's an idea, FORT WORTH should have Wyland out to paint an exact copy of the mural somewhere in Fort Worth. WE ARE THE CITY OF THE OLD WEST. We are more TRUELY cultured than Plastic Dallas. With world-class Kimball museum and others - We are the museum Capitol of the southwest!
Shame on you Dallas for painting over that work of art - so typical Dallas
HanginOn9114@reddit
I honestly don't care anymore. There is no way to win in the face of ultranationalist late stage capitalism. I will just try to keep my family afloat and find small moments of happiness. I can't care anymore.
jffadvisors@reddit
1). TXU or one of its predecessor companies used to own that building. Not any more. The city or an angry mob cannot dictate to the current owner what to do with it
2) This picture is from when it was freshly done. It was extremely faded after 30 years of facing south in the Texas sun. It needed to either be repainted by Wyland or painted over
3) I agree that the owner should have reached out for a counter offer as the Wyland Foundation does have funds to repaint whaling walls
Melonpan_Pup442@reddit
A mural for a sporting event that will not bring in the big numbers they think it will.
gamecat89@reddit
And everyone will forget about in 2 years.
MySixHourErection@reddit
Philly lost its Wyland several years ago. Yay progress
Glueberry_Ryder@reddit
Fucking fifa man. Gonna come in and tear up the city and bounce. Would be a shame if someone defaced the ad with a bunch of whales.
Soggy-Bedroom-3673@reddit
Incidentally, does anyone that has even a remote, passing interest in soccer not already know the world cup is coming to Dallas? Who are they advertising to?
admiraljkb@reddit
Truthfully - I didn't know it was coming to Arlington until this mural travesty. Surprising, but true. But that it's over in Arlington, not Dallas area, it probably didn't register with me.
Thegreatsrm@reddit
What’s crazy it’s in Arlington lol. Why paint over something half way across town
VeryVino20@reddit
The FIFA fan zone and media hub are both at fair park
Thegreatsrm@reddit
I’m very aware where it is. I’m going to several of the games. Doesn’t change the fact they’re in Arlington and a mural in Dallas didn’t need to be painted over for it.
kesin@reddit
For what it’s worth the media hub for the wc is in Dallas itself. Still ridiculous.
kesin@reddit
i mean even the most die hard soccer fans loathe fifa too lol
Snobolski@reddit
People already know where to get a truck, and what kind of beer they like. Why are there so many truck and beer commercials during sportsball games on TV?
BillHicksDied4UrSins@reddit
Seriously. And once World Cup is gone will they paint over it with a Crypto Ad or something equally bleak.
melalovelady@reddit
I work downtown and the amount of road work they waited until the last minute to try and hustle and finish for the World Cup is absolutely killing me.
YaGetSkeeted0n@reddit
i like how the dumbasses still haven't striped the lanes on Houston in front of the EBJ station
InternalOpinion5410@reddit
I heard it will be completed this week
Old_Entertainment234@reddit
These same dumbasses just stripped on Jefferson at loop 12 and completely messed up. Will be putting in a request here later today.
RelativeCheesecake88@reddit
Is this supposed to be downtown Dallas? I’m sorry, we don’t watch news so only know it’s coming to this area? If they tore streets up downtown D, that sure stirs up the mice that live under those streets. Lol they all run inside
zHydro@reddit
i've been driving over the same shit downtown roads for 2 years. my right rear strut has gone out.
but a couple week ago they started repairing it. that's crazy.
txjoe95@reddit
Soccer Sucks! Whales are cooler than kicking a ball around a field and never scoring!
msixtwofive@reddit
Lol you think FIFA did this? Your city hosting committee did this.
RelativeCheesecake88@reddit
That’s a great idea! I’m not a painter but I would volunteer for Gatorade and water duties if something gets organized. I’ll pass out sandwiches and protein bars!
86Sliva94@reddit
Fuck Fifa why not find a blank wall or billboard ? Fifa is only temporary this painting been here since 99!
melalovelady@reddit
Yeah. Replace that big ass iPhone advert on one of the buildings I can’t think of the name on now.
quetzalcoatlus1453@reddit
All the more reason to keep my fingers crossed that the World Cup will be a financial flop
EclecticSheep2@reddit
I only heard this referred to as the "Whale-ing Wall"
Good to know the actual history of it, and sad to see it overtaken by capitalism
lurkerlurking123@reddit
the blue paint over was promised to us 3k years ago
Unhappy-Display-2588@reddit
🙄
Akgrinder@reddit
he made a whaling wall mural in anchorage, ak too
djporter91@reddit
Funny, they probably complained capitalism is what put it up.
YaGetSkeeted0n@reddit
Reading Wilonsky's article, apparently Wyland did it in a week? God damn, I mean I guess that's why he's a professional muralist but that's damn quick
Klutzy-Concentrate83@reddit
Wilonsky is just so good at writing about the history of Dallas.
johnnyclash42@reddit
He’s an absolute gift to this town. Has been for a long time. So is John Slate if - you’re not familiar he’s our city archivist. He’s published some cool historical stuff about Dallas and Texas as well, and has worked with Bruce Lee Webb of the Webb Gallery. All great Texan historians who do a lot for us for damn near zero recognition.
gizmo1024@reddit
He did on at the South Padre Island Convention Center that’s worth checking out
hyst0rica1_29@reddit
Could be worse: you could be living down here in San Antonio where the goobers that run the joint regularly obliterate local landmarks to put up a Starbucks as THE means to one-up Dallas.
Seriously, this town’s leadership figures if we just had a ____, that would put us over H-town & you guys.
StroodleNoodles@reddit
Names of who approved this? We need to remove them from office.
NuckyMunch@reddit
https://www.dallasfwc26.com/home/our-team/
FGIII FINEART PRODUCTIONS
Icy_Bottle2763@reddit
Dallas, and Texas in general, has some of the lowest voter turnout in the US which leads to things like this. Large scale voter mobilization for every election (even the local ones) is the first step unfortunately. It sucks to see this at the same time they're discussing demolishing City Hall for a casino too
fredaklein@reddit
I’m boycotting FIFA. Played & followed soccer for almost 50 years, but the criminals and imbeciles in FIFA have trashed it.
werewolfeatpant@reddit
It’s so dumb, I don’t know anyone who lives in Dallas that actually cares about soccer. And I’ve been here my whole life.
satanicmajesty@reddit
The mural was super faded and old, and no longer looked like the picture shown above. I would understand the outrage if it still looked good, but it didn’t. I don’t watch soccer and I don’t care about FIFA or the World Cup, but it’s the most watched sporting event around the world, and we’re expecting 8M people to come into our city for that event alone. I think many people are overreacting. You don’t know what the new mural will look like yet.
tristand666@reddit
The artist said it was in good shape and just needed a cleaning and some touch ups. You are just making assumptions here.
satanicmajesty@reddit
I don’t want to get in an argument here, and this is not directed at you, but if the artist had cared, he would’ve come down here to touch it up or repaint it 10 years ago. I see this mural all the time, and it is not in good shape, and it doesn’t look good anymore. It’s decrepit now. The outrage would’ve been good 5 years ago, even 6 months ago, to touch it up and restore it…it’s kinda too late.
MesonoxianMuse@reddit
Why wouldn’t they just put a print ad over it?
Homey-Airport-Int@reddit
A mural painted in 1999 is not history.
NJB9891@reddit
Prepare for an onslaught of downvotes, despite the fact that you’re absolutely correct.
Yarusenai@reddit
By what metric? History is history. Yesterday is history. Almost 30 years ago is certainly history.
Homey-Airport-Int@reddit
Being history does not mean historic. A house in Dallas built in 1996 is not a historic house on its face. Murals rarely last.
ofWildPlaces@reddit
You are not the one that gets to decide the age of history,
DubyaKayOh@reddit
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Whaling_Walls
Homey-Airport-Int@reddit
Notice how many of those on the list have been repainted or are bound to fade as nobody is going to maintain them. Some just repainted, if someone repaints it it'll stay on the list anyway. Murals never last.
bratbats@reddit
All paintings were, at one point, 30 years old. Should they have just destroyed all of them after that time, due to them not being, by your metrics, historical?
Homey-Airport-Int@reddit
It's a mural. They're repainted all the time. Not the same as a painting on canvas. The Taylor Swift Billie Eilish mural ain't gonna last either.
NJB9891@reddit
See?
Wafflehouseofpain@reddit
It’s nearly 30 years old. That’s historical at that point.
YaGetSkeeted0n@reddit
shoot, that makes me ancient history
sadegr@reddit
If it's cool to trash things after 25 or 30 years cause that's not "historical", you NEVER GET SHIT THATS OLDER or more historical.
I get it, we're moving from late stage capitalism into terminal, end stage capitalism. Everything is disposable, nothing is sacrosanct... but people complain we have no history and actively shit on the idea of preserving anything... I'm fed up with excusing the cognitive dissonance that's ruining everything.
I liked those whales.
Ok_Doughnut_2298@reddit
It is for Dallas though
12VoltGuardianAngel@reddit
Fuck FIFA. There should be protests on every overpass for their time here. Not just for this wall, but as a whole FIFA is a destructive force.
White-milk@reddit
FUCK FIFA
New-Worldliness5163@reddit
I've never heard a person in my life care about this mural until they decided to paint over it. It's not even a sought after attraction in the city.
ManitouWakinyan@reddit
Something can be valuable and appreciated without people standing around gawking about it or slipping it into cocktail conversations.
New-Worldliness5163@reddit
Now it’s time to appreciate something else. It wasn’t supposed to be there for ever
ManitouWakinyan@reddit
I mean, it wasn't supposed to be replaced with an ad
New-Worldliness5163@reddit
I think more people will talk about the World Cup being in Dallas than the Ocean Mural.
bratbats@reddit
Nobody gives a fuck about soccer, Dallas is only doing all of this to appeal to the tourists they're going to get because they're in a massive city budget deficit and need the sweet sweet revenue.
New-Worldliness5163@reddit
So it’s bad for them to appeal to tourists for a Global event that Dallas is apart of?
guptroop@reddit
World Cup was in Dallas in 94. No one was talking about it.
New-Worldliness5163@reddit
Since the lead up to the World Cup, I've only heard people talk about how they went to games at the Cotton Bowl when it was in Dallas
guptroop@reddit
Right. Since the lead up. Not before.
New-Worldliness5163@reddit
since the lead up to this World Cup*
ManitouWakinyan@reddit
And none of them will be talking about the ad for it
indigoC99@reddit
It could have been turned into more art but instead it's an ad
Glueberry_Ryder@reddit
No it’s not the Mona Lisa but it added delightful character to the city. There’s art everywhere in Dallas. This was one of the coolest and my kids favorite. We always assumed it was a nod to the aquarium down the street.
alkzy@reddit
They’re really painting over this art?!
friskevision@reddit
It’s definitely being painted over. I drove by it yesterday. I get people saying we should’ve kept the mural, I agree, but, it was seriously faded and needed retouching.
Melonpan_Pup442@reddit
He was planning in coming back to touch it up.
https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/dallas-covers-downtown-whale-wall-mural-for-world-cup-40674801/
James-the-Bond-one@reddit
Maybe he can return to paint a new one, after the FIFA ad ages out?
JokersGlascowSmile@reddit
Given what Dallas did to the first one, I’m sure he’d be disinclined to come back to paint another one.
omgfloofy@reddit
Considering that Wyland's exploring legal action against the city for it, I agree. He probably won't paint another one for the city.
James-the-Bond-one@reddit
Well, Dallas allowed it to age and fade for almost 3 decades, so it wasn't too bad.
satanicmajesty@reddit
It’s not an ad, it’s a new mural
lpalf@reddit
It might be a mural but it’s also a fifa ad
indigoC99@reddit
The fact that they let it get that faded is exactly the lack care for art that OP in the picture was talking about.
komark-@reddit
I mean maybe I’m being insensitive… but the text in OPs post says “lack of interest in preserving history” and personally I really don’t think something younger than me should be considered historic.
There are a shit load of murals all over town - I’m sure some even older than this one.
ofWildPlaces@reddit
Your personal age is not the deciding factor as to what is historic.
NothingButTheTea@reddit
What a way of calling yourself insignificant.
Fuzea@reddit
Age has nothing to do with historic or cultural value. One World Trade Center is younger than I am but it is still a historic landmark.
This artwork represented a global commitment to marine conservation. It was at one point the largest public artwork in the city. It has historical value and is needlessly being painted over. They’ve used non-damaging means of covering up the artwork before, there’s no reason they couldn’t have done the same in this instance.
This is the equivalent of melting down the Nolan Ryan statue at globe life field to put up a temporary display for Mbappe. It’s just completely unnecessary.
Sea-Jackfruit-9472@reddit
If you don’t preserve history in the present day then it’s not around to be historic later.
Your statement “I don’t think something younger than me should be considered historic” could have been said at some point in history for literally any historical artifact/site/thing
PrincessAngieB@reddit
Yeah but if we never take the time to preserve things even if they are "young" then how do we expect them to stay around long enough to become historic?? Dallas has a chronic issue of tearing down old things to build new over it, just look at the whole City Hall debacle.
SparkaCat@reddit
Who approved this? I loved the whale mural. :(
GoScotch@reddit
Can’t build public transit out to the stadium for games but can paint over historic murals 👍
gearpitch@reddit
That's on Arlington, not the city of dallas. They refuse transit, nothing dallas can do
RubAnADUB@reddit
well whoever owns the property can paint whatever they want.
yeahwhuteva@reddit
Dallas is kind of fucking awful
VallettaAwoo@reddit
i hate FIFA and the disgusting rats who run it
avschmidt63@reddit
Remember, it was badly faded. Paint doesn’t last. After FIFA, it could be redone even better than before.
tristand666@reddit
The artist made a comment on this and said it was in fine shape, but needed a good cleaning and a few touch ups.
James-the-Bond-one@reddit
Let's hope so. With official sponsorship of the same artist.
sealclubberfan@reddit
Why couldnt the put up a temporary wall to preserve that, and just take down the wall with the fifa mural once the wo4ld cup was over?
Able-Presentation902@reddit
They don’t care about the history because they all come from California. Wish they would go back
Tremulant887@reddit
Quick reminder that hardware store sell discounted paint where the color didn't come out the way they wanted it. Cheap buckets of paint.
Agreeable_Papaya8365@reddit
Feels like cities always trade character for quick money
Then_Supermarket18@reddit
The whales of our youth are gone forever.
djporter91@reddit
Bet 75% of this sub just found out what it was this week
lpalf@reddit
No, many of us actually pay attention to our surroundings
Upstairs_Balance_464@reddit
Anyone upset about this that supports knocking down City Hall is a hypocrite.
lpalf@reddit
10000000% and both suck ass
lpalf@reddit
Dallas is such a fucking shithole man
Specific-Stop-4591@reddit
People say dallas lacks a culture. It doesnt. The culture is money. Whatever makes sense at this moment now to gain the most dollars. The sooner we realize thats our culture the sooner we can figure out how to address it.
Grouchy-Pool5441@reddit
Fuckin trans plants😡
ItsYaGirlConfusion@reddit
This breaks my heart and ruined an archive of my childhood. F*ck Dallas politics.
great1nono@reddit
That sucks. I remember my son looking up and saying it was really cool when he was a toddler. He hates ads because of youtube. So im sure he would hate it. Im not going to tell him about it either. Fuck aggressive youtube ads though I can't wait for them to have serious competition.
Mindful_Rager@reddit
Wait. THAT’S what they are putting over it?! They couldn’t just print it and put up a temporary mural? We don’t want see the fifa crap after fifa is done and gone this summer. They might as well paint on all the works and pottery in the museum downtown with soccer balls.
TheHoundmaster@reddit
Those bastards better not lay a FINGER on “Don’t Mess With Tex-Mex” across the street or I will come down there!
Solomonopolistadt@reddit
It's like this city can't have any soul whatsoever
WyldFlowerWyldFire@reddit
I wouldn’t be too upset. Wyland also painted a mural in Taiji, Japan where they slaughter hundreds dolphins or steal them from the wild to sell them to marine parks every year. He’s not exactly a moral advocate for sea life no matter if his paintings are iconic.
WizardofEarthSea91@reddit
Is this the same Dallas that talking about knocking down city hall for a basketball arena?
HugePurpleNipples@reddit
It's so obvious how corrupt and incorrect our world is and we just sit and watch.
TR_Griff@reddit
Sounds like they're asking for the ad to be defaced.
BearWithHat@reddit
Is it being painted over or just covered? Fairly sure it's been covered before
Dick_Lazer@reddit
They were out there with paint rollers and blue paint.
ManitouWakinyan@reddit
https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/dallas-covers-downtown-whale-wall-mural-for-world-cup-40674801/
Aware_Growth_6643@reddit
Best of luck to his legal team.
YaGetSkeeted0n@reddit
They are at least keeping the northern portion so there's that. But yeah, per the article, he might have a claim under that Visual Artists Rights Act.
Mav21Fo@reddit
This is correct. People like being outraged lol
ChicagoRay312@reddit
It’s being painted. I live downtown.
jabdtx@reddit
You should have put on a whale costume and stopped them.
yeahright17@reddit
The picture yesterday was of a guy with a paint roller on a lift. Pretty sure it's being painted.
BearWithHat@reddit
Dallas gonna dallas
MarkTwang-@reddit
It can be covered, but it’s unfortunately being re-painted.
Dick_Lazer@reddit
Seems like they could've preserved it too, like maybe some some of fabric overlay that could be removed after the event is over.
hullowurld@reddit
let's get the jennifer aniston smartwater ad back while we're at it
GjallahornR@reddit
Did they bring it down? I saw it yesterday on 35E
hullowurld@reddit
There used to be a giant one downtown
YaGetSkeeted0n@reddit
put it on city hall
GjallahornR@reddit
Plastic lives matter! /s
FiredUpMan777@reddit
Save the whales!
dolph_land@reddit
good it never made sense. the nearest ocean is 300 miles away
ArtOfWarlick@reddit
It's literally an art piece designed to raise ocean awareness in land-locked regions, but go off fam.
dolph_land@reddit
how even do you use aave and valley girl in the same sentence? what are you?
cbuech@reddit
Don’t even THINK about the ocean unless you can see it!!
GlempyLempist@reddit
“We look forward to unveiling a new piece that captures this current historical moment and reflects the energy, unity and global spirit surrounding the World Cup 2026 this summer.”
Jesus christ, the PR-speak is insulting.
PlantFreak77@reddit
I’ve loved driving past this gorgeous painting every time we go to the Y downtown, since 2018! It’s fuccin sad to see this covered up.
tailskirby@reddit
Figures Dallas would do this considering who the mayor is.
rat_penis@reddit
Dallas always has been and always be a business town first and foremost.
TylerBisel@reddit
Curse the FIFART and save the whales
OrangeTrees1974@reddit
This is terrible. Zero reason to do this whatsoever. Whoever agreed to paint over this mural should be voted out ASAP. Disgraceful
eirollam@reddit
This makes my heart hurt. I was obsessed with whales when I was younger, and I was always on the lookout for Wyland walls when I traveled. So when I moved to Dallas a few years ago, I was elated to find one downtown and would run by it every chance I got. I don’t live there anymore, but learning about this made me so sad for the city and for public art.
tdog00@reddit
god i hate capitalism but part of me relishes knowing things are going to get so bad and i get to say i told you so
cbuech@reddit
What a fucking waste. Been there 27 years and getting painted over for the World Cup. I myself am a huge soccer fan but those whole way fifa has gone about this and price gouging has been a middle finger to average fans
MrTacocaT12345@reddit
I was informed by a council member on next door that the owner of the building sold the wall space to FIFA. It had nothing to do with the city of Dallas.
foxontherox@reddit
For a FIFA AD??
Just end me now. 😭
Over_Ad1461@reddit
Yup, in addison they just tore down a building that was amazing. I dont understand why preservation is not a thing in Dallas.
flaming_bob@reddit
Isn't that the parking lot where the Dallas Times Herald building used to be?
BrianRLackey1987@reddit
I guess TXGOP hates whales.
shwampchicken@reddit
Fuckin FIFA, this nonsense hasn’t even started yet and it’s already being a pain in the ass. It’s gonna be one HELL of a summer
jam_jwh@reddit
I guess sports make money and not whales… to the fat cats upstairs money talks
loves2ride1@reddit
There’s rules for FIFA that must be followed. There is numbers of fifa murals that have to go up. The ATT logos on the stadium have to come down which will cost millions.
YaGetSkeeted0n@reddit
I am sure that's the case, but could they not have picked an alternate site or used a non-destructive method (such as an overlay on which to paint or print something)?
p8nt_junkie@reddit
All time favorite!
Prestigious-Pin-3204@reddit
I agree!!!!!
ambertexn@reddit
Outrageous! 🤬
CoiterCoit@reddit
Word
escapeartistjess@reddit
thats actually insane i freaking knew it would be for an ad
HunterSuspicious371@reddit
I thought I recall seeing the mural pre-1999 on an elementary school field trip.
NightyyAphrodite@reddit
I'm against this, BUT why is it an issue now? This mural was covered for 15+ years with billboards until COVID. Nobody made a stink about it all that time to my recollection
jreynolds323@reddit
Because it’s being permanently destroyed. They aren’t putting a banner on top of it. It’s gone after it’s painted over.
NightyyAphrodite@reddit
It was covered for so long people didn't even know of it's existence. It might as well had never been there. Maybe social media wasn't as strong a presence to have received the attention it's getting now
PrincessAngieB@reddit
This is so sad, I love that mural!! Again, Dallas with it's chronic issue of never preserving any of it's history or culture. Just wtf man
uksiddy@reddit
Does anyone know when they will paint it?
DonkeeJote@reddit
I get the angst over it getting painted over because of FIFA, but honestly it was pretty meh at this point.
FirstAmendAnon@reddit
Disgusting! I loved that piece of public art, it was beautiful. To be covered up for an ad for a short one shot event is horrible. Sometimes this city sucks man.