SALT LAKE CITY — “Out of the Blue” is about to look drastically different for the first time since Salt Lake City’s beloved whale first made a splash over three years ago.
A process to find a new mural to paint onto the 23-foot whale sculpture is now underway. The Salt Lake City Arts Council launched a community survey on Monday, asking residents a few questions about what the whale and the 9th & 9th neighborhood mean to them.
Feedback from the small survey will be used as the city hires a muralist to repaint the whale. A call for artists is expected to be issued in November, and the whale will be repainted with the winning design sometime next year, city officials say.
The new design will replace “Point of Reference,” a multi-colored mural that local artist Mike Murdock painted onto “Out of the Blue” days before the sculpture — located within the 900 South and 1100 East roundabout — was dedicated in April 2022.
Surveys beforehand helped city and community leaders pick the original mural and the whale, which was designed by Stephen Kesler. Both the whale and its design quickly became a part of the city’s identity.
Its design has landed on clothing, flags and other merchandise. Caffe Expresso, a small coffee shop located by the southwest corner of the roundabout, also incorporated Murdock’s design into some of its signage.
Not to be outdone, a group of residents raced down Main Street in a whale-designed kart during the first-ever Red Bull Soapbox race held in Salt Lake City in July. The whale was even featured during the city’s Pioneer Day drone show last month.
Yet, Monday’s announcement wasn’t entirely out of the blue. The whale was supposed to be the canvas for a rotating mural for artists, Salt Lake City Arts Council officials said when the 23-foot sculpture was dedicated.
That was still the plan even after the whale — original design and all — had become a cultural phenomenon in the city, according to Felicia Baca, director of the Arts Council. She shared this information with KSL.com after participating in a 2023 panel discussion about how Salt Lake City had invested more into public arts.
In an online post this week, the council said it wants to repaint “Out of the Blue” every three to five years. The recurring changes aim to reflect the “vibrant and ever-changing spirit” of the whale’s surrounding neighborhood.
It’s meant to keep the whale fresh while using it to tell new stories about the city over time.
“This rotating mural program invites new styles, perspectives and stories — ensuring ‘Out of the Blue’ remains a meaningful part of the dynamic community,” officials wrote. “While the sculpture remains constant, ‘Out of the Blue’ will evolve — just like our growing city.”
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