DETROIT (WWJ) -- Many Detroiters who visited downtown this weekend likely saw some changes happening around the city in preparation for the NFL Draft.
But the update that’s perhaps sparked the biggest reaction on social media is the fact that Broderick Tower’s infamous whale mural has once again been covered by an advertisement — this time for Cure Auto Insurance.
The whales were painted by Metro Detroit native Robert Wyland in 1997, but since 2006, the "Whaling" artwork has been covered by temporary advertisements over 15 times -- though never painted over.
The most recent ad from Rocket Companies adorned the building with Detroit artist Phillip Simpson’s signature smiley faces beginning in late 2021, but was destroyed by a storm last August.
The hashtag #FreeTheWhales has become a popular rallying cry among Detroiters who prefer to see the mural untouched.
In 2022, Robert Wyland even tried to argue that the Michigan Supreme Court should review a previous ruling that stated the mural could be covered by ads — though his attempts were unsuccessful.
“If they get away with it, destroying this mural with billboards, then all public art is exposed,” Wyland told WWJ’s Zach Clark on The Daily J podcast in 2022. “The city’s on my side but money talks, I guess … Leave the art that is part of Detroit’s public art, leave it alone.”