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There are few structures that have captured the zeitgeist of Utah more than The Whale and The Claw. The one is hard to miss when you travel on I-15. The other developed a cult following after a particularly good winter. But what are they and where did they come from?
The Whale
At the roundabout intersection of 900 South and 1100 East in Salt Lake City rises a colorful statue of a humpback whale breaching the surface.
The whale is officially called “Out of the Blue” and is 23 feet high. Created by artist Stephen J. Kesler, it is part of the public art collection managed by the Salt Lake City Arts Council. The mural on the whale is considered a separate piece of art, “Point of Reference,” and is by Michael M. Murdock.
When it was installed in 2022, it wasn’t without a bit of pushback. The roundabout had previously been decorated with garden gnomes, which some felt better reflected the neighborhood and that the giant whale was incongruous with the area.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) A ceremony at Caffe Expresso unveiled the 900 South roundabout whale sculpture called "Out of the Blue" in Salt Lake City on Monday, April 11, 2022.
However, the whale developed a cult following. After the whale statue was installed, Utah was hit with snowstorm after snowstorm. The following winter of 2022-23 saw record-breaking snowfall, especially in ski resorts. Someone pointed out that the amazing snow season, and subsequent excellent ski season, coincided with the Whale’s installation.
People began treating the sculpture as a good luck charm, repeating the phrase “All Hail the Whale” online and in person. Artwork featuring the whale and that phrase also started popping up, as people fell in love with the art piece.
Artwork inspired by the 9th and 9th Whale
The Claw
If you’re driving on I-15 in the south part of Salt Lake County, you may notice a giant, four-legged structure next to the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium. The 165-foot, 190-ton steel structure is called “The Claw.”
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Crews lift ÒThe ClawÓ, a 165-foot-tall, 190-ton stage component that rock band U2 used on its 360¡ Tour, into place, at the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium in Draper, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2019.
The Claw served as a traveling stage for U2’s “360° Tour” from 2009 to 2011 — including a stop at Rice-Eccles Stadium. It was billed as the largest stage ever constructed.
Officials at the Draper aquarium bought the structure for a few million back in 2016, and it was installed in 2019. A lighting system and custom fabric coverings were added to create a place for virtual-reality tours of the world.
