When Stephen Kesler first designed his “Out of the Blue” sculpture that now looms over Salt Lake City’s 9th and 9th neighborhood, he had no idea how big an effect the artwork, known as “the whale,” would have on the community.
Situated in the center of the roundabout at 900 South and 1100 East, the massive sculpture of a whale has watched over marathoners running 630 laps around the sculpture, been hailed as a bringer of snow and inspired other artists to create “All Hail the Whale” works.
Soon, though, what’s become an icon is set for a change in iconography. The Salt Lake City Arts Council has issued a public call for artists to apply for a chance to create a new mural on the sculpture.
Painter Mike Murdock created the mural, called “Point of Reference,” as the sculpture’s inaugural paint job. But the arts council always intended to give the whale a new design scheme periodically, to create “a dynamic and ever-changing visual centerpiece.”
Kesler, who was invited by the arts council to help judge the submissions, said he’s excited to have a say in the whale’s next development.
Kesler said he thinks Murdock’s work contributed to making the whale as popular as it is, and said the mural will forever live on as the rotating art installation’s first layer.
“The rotating mural is something I really loved about the [arts council’s] idea for the roundabout,” Kesler said. “Of course, there will be many debates on old versus new murals, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Public art is there to invite community discussion.”
Kesler said he’s excited to see the next round of submissions — and said the whale’s history has already shown how there’s room for competing ideas to find a sense of belonging.
When the arts council first accepted Kesler’s concept for the sculpture, he said some people referred to his whale as “the Destroyer of Gnomes” that locals had placed in the roundabout during the COVID-19 pandemic. He said he became aware of the feud between the gnomes and the whale when people began sending him articles and social media posts.
“The funny thing is, there was never a plan to remove them; they were back after the whale was installed. They now coexist with the whale. There’s room for everyone,” he said.
Kesler said he’s been happy to see that the artwork has been largely embraced, even as some initially didn’t think a ginormous whale sculpture was fitting for a neighborhood in Utah hundreds of miles from an ocean.
“I was told by many people after the installation that there are actually no whales in Utah,” he said. “If I had known, I would have done a kangaroo. You know, something indigenous to Utah.”
Salt Lake County artists interested in painting a new mural on “Out of the Blue” can apply for the work by Jan. 2. The new mural is expected to be finished by late summer 2026, according to the art council’s request for qualifications.