World-Renowned Artist Wyland, Wyland Foundation Issue Cease and Desist as Dallas Destroys Iconic Mural for FIFA World Cup Promotion
Property Owner, City of Dallas, and FIFA Accused of Willful Violations of Federal Law
DALLAS, TX — Kessler Collins, P.C., on behalf of internationally acclaimed artist Wyland and the Wyland Foundation, issued a formal Cease and Desist letter to 3PZ Property Company, LLC, the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau (d/b/a North Texas Local Organizing Committee), the City of Dallas, and FIFA (Americas), Inc., demanding an immediate halt to prevent the further destruction of Wyland’s iconic mural “Ocean Life”, also known as Whaling Wall 82, located on the exterior of 505 N. Akard Street in downtown Dallas.
The approximately 17,000-square-foot, eight-story mural stood for nearly three decades as a celebrated landmark in the heart of Dallas, offering landlocked Dallasites a reprieve from concrete slabs and high-rises and a glimpse of life under the sea. The City of Dallas authorized the drowning of this iconic piece, which celebrated marine life and raised awareness for marine conservation, a cause which Wyland and the Wyland Foundation has long championed, in blue paint to facilitate FIFA World Cup 2026 promotional content. Make no mistake. The city carried out this destruction of public art without Wyland’s knowledge, consent, or even a basic notification.
Dallas Abandons Its Own Legacy
The destruction of “Ocean Life” violates federal law and betrays Dallas’s own legacy. In 2014, the City of Dallas won the Wyland Foundation National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation, with representatives from the Wyland Foundation, Toyota, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency presenting Mayor Mike Rawlings with the recognition. The award was a testament to Dallas’s then-commitment to the ecological values that the Wyland Foundation, and the Whaling Wall series, tirelessly championed on a global level. The same city that attained this honor has now sanctioned and executed the destruction and mutilation of the very mural that gave that honor meaning.
As a host metroplex for the FIFA World Cup 2026, Dallas had the opportunity to stand on the world stage as a wise steward of art, culture, and conservation. Instead, Dallas squandered this opportunity with a short-sighted, commercially motivated act of destruction. With the eyes of the world on Dallas, they will witness, instead of “Ocean Life,” a world-renowned artist cast aside without notice, a blatant violation of law, and a city’s once celebrated conservation legacy painted over for promotional purposes.
VARA Does Not Bow to FIFA Promotional Content
The Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990 (“VARA”) is a federal law that protects the moral rights of visual artists, including the right to prevent the intentional or grossly negligent destruction of a work of recognized stature. VARA reflects a foundational principle: that an artist injects their spirit into a work, and that both the artist’s reputation and the integrity of the work deserve legal protection.
“Ocean Life” is a work of recognized stature. Upon its completion in 1999, Wyland was presented with a key to the City of Dallas, which evidences the Mural’s cultural significance. For nearly thirty years, “Ocean Life” stood as one of the city’s most celebrated public landmarks, admired by residents, visitors, and the global art and conservation community alike. Wyland is a globally recognized artist, and his Whaling Wall series—comprised of 100 murals completed over three decades across six continents— is one of the most significant and impactful public art projects in history.
When 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. Whether by negligence, flagrant disregard, or both, the result is the same—an irreversible destruction of a federally protected work of art in the name of a temporary promotional campaign.
Pursuing Accountability to Protect Public Art
Kessler Collins intends to identify and hold accountable those responsible for destroying “Ocean Life”. The law does not yield to World Cup schedules, commercial timelines, nor the indifference of property owners. Intentional VARA violations can warrant substantial damages, and the deliberate, premeditated, and public nature of this destruction places it squarely in that category.
As Wyland stated, “if they can get away with it, then all the public art in Dallas and all the public art in America is at risk.” If public art and the city’s legacy are to last, inaction is not an option.
Kessler Collins stands with Wyland and intends to zealously pursue those responsible for the destruction of “Ocean Life” and to help ensure stronger protections for public art across the country.
This matter is about upholding principles of marine conservation, the integrity of public art, and the rights of artists. In that spirit, Wyland has committed any monetary recovery to the Dallas art community, conservation initiatives, and school art programs.
Kessler Collins, P.C. is a Dallas-based full-service law firm with a focus on intellectual property, art law, and litigation.
MEDIA CONTACT: Carol Porter, Marketing and Media Director | 214.379.0729 | Media@kesslercollins.com
