Detroit's whale mural returns to Broderick Tower after storm damages ad that covered it

One of Detroit’s largest and most popular murals, a recent source of contention, is back on full display after being covered for nearly two years.

Detroit native Robert Wyland’s “Whale Tower” mural, depicting whales frolicking in the ocean, was painted onto the rear façade of Grand Circus Park’s Broderick Tower in 1997, spanning 20 floors of the 34-story building. It became a public favorite among Detroit’s many murals, particularly with Detroit Tigers fans who spent years gazing at it from seats in Comerica Park.

Since 2006, it has been covered by large ads from time to time, evoking an outcry each time. In November 2021, it was covered by a Rocket Companies ad that featured local artist Phillip Simpson’s signature smiley faces, accompanied by the words “Detroit is Home.” Despite the colorful artwork and positive message, many people were upset, with #BringBacktheWhales trending on Twitter in April 2022 as the Tigers season began.

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Last week, thunderstorms tore through metro Detroit, causing major damage, severe flooding and widespread power outages. One of the casualties was the vinyl Rocket ad with Simpson’s artwork, which was ripped in half by the weather conditions. On Friday, Simpson shared drone footage of the destruction on Instagram, the left half of the piece flapping in the wind and partially revealing Wyland’s whale mural.

“What happens now?” Simpson wrote, tagging Rocket Companies.

By Tuesday afternoon, the remnants of the ad had been stripped away, fully revealing the whales for the first time in nearly two years.

Simpson did not respond to requests for further comment. Wyland, however, issued a statement to the Free Press through Steve Creech, president of the Wyland Foundation.

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“It’s ironic,” Creech wrote. “After years of contention, soda ads, car ads, appeals to the state supreme court, and Rocket Mortgage completely disregarding any communication with us to find another building for their ad instead of covering up a legacy work of public art, it finally took Mother Nature to step in and say, ‘Let me handle this.’

“We really hope this incident gives the advertisers pause. If you look at water pollution, declining biodiversity, and the worsening climate change, humanity hasn't exactly been doing the planet any favors lately. So, there's something rather poignant about the timing for the return of the mural. Maybe the advertisers will finally consider letting the mural serve the purpose Wyland intended: to remind people that no matter where we live, we are always intrinsically connected to nature.”

In 2022, Wyland and the city of Detroit attempted to take the issue to the Michigan Supreme Court, but the high court declined to review a previous ruling that the mural could be covered with advertising.

It remains unclear whether the mural will eventually be covered again. But, for now, the whales are back on the job, watching over Comerica Park.

Contact Free Press arts and culture reporter Duante Beddingfield at dbeddingfield@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Whale mural on Detroit's Broderick Tower resurfaces after storm damage