Chicago, Illinois Wyland Whaling Wall 73

History of the Chicago,Illinois Wyland Whaling Wall 73

-The Windy Whales

Whaling wall 73

“The Windy Whales” by Wyland brought the beauty of the ocean to downtown Chicago for more than a decade. The subjects of the mural were five humpback whales peacefully swimming in beautiful, blue waters, and acted as a draw to awareness for the environment in an urban city. Mrs. Maggie Daley, wife of the Mayor of Chicago, dedicated this mural in September of 1997. However, in 2007, the mural was mostly obstructed by the building of a condominium structure.
Despite the fact that it can no longer be viewed by passerby, the very obstruction represents the impact that urban development can have on conservation efforts, like Wyland’s public art.

Even though The Wyland Foundation encountered a setback of sorts from the obstruction of the mural, it continues to promote awareness for the environment. Through programs like the Clean Water Mobile Learning Center and the National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation, the foundation regularly draws connections between the arts and the sciences in an effort to encourage others to pay attention to their upstream activities and how it affects the waterways and marine life downstream.

Did You Know?

The Great Lakes Watershed, connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the St. Lawrence River, includes the city of Chicago.
Urban runoff causes significant challenges for the Great Lake region. Frequently, waters experience algal blooms which threaten drinking water and aquatic life.

Urban life affects water systems downstream, there’s no denying it. In the 1990s, the Clean Water Act worked to address urban stormwater runoff, one of Chicago’s major pollution sources. The EPA enforced requirements on municipalities to manage stormwater and restrict pollutants from entering Lake Michigan. The necessity for acts like this underscores the need for urban residents to become aware of how their daily activities impact our waterways.

Hotel Inter-Continental
505 North Michigan Ave.
Chicago, Illinois
90 Feet Long x 200 Feet High
Dedicated September 22nd, 1997
By Mrs. Maggie Daley, Wife of Mayor Richard M. Daley

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