Utah’s capital city is already prepared to give its arguably most prominent inanimate creature a colorful makeover in 2026.
And now Salt Lake City is searching for a local artist to transform Out of the Blue, the large whale sculpture that has captivated many residents and visitors since it was installed over three years ago in the city’s 9th and 9th District.
Salt Lake City Arts Council officials launched an online application process for the 23-foot sculpture’s new design on Monday. The city says it is looking to find a Salt Lake County-based artist or resident who can create a “dynamic, community-centered mural” celebrating the neighborhood’s “creativity and character.”
Artists have until the end of the day on Jan. 2, 2026, to apply with examples from their portfolio. A new design will be painted onto the whale by the end of next summer, following a lengthy design review process. It’s the first time that the council is limiting designs to artists only in Salt Lake County because of how beloved the whale is locally.
“Given how hyperlocal this artwork is, we wanted to keep it in tune with what the community said about Salt Lake City,” said Renato Olmedo-González, public art program manager for the city arts council. “I expect quite a number of (applicants) because it’s quite a popular artwork — perhaps the most famous mural in town.”
Dozens of artists applied through a different process when Salt Lake City first sought an art piece to fill the center of a roundabout at the intersection of 900 South and 1100 East a few years ago. The city ultimately selected Stephen Kesler’s whale design and local artist Mike Murdock’s abstract sunset mural to wrap around it, called “Point of Reference.”
The whale debuted in 2022, creating a splash. People have printed T-shirts and flags depicting the whale, and the design even influenced one of the karts at the first-ever Red Bull Soapbox race to be held in Utah. At least one of the district’s businesses adopted the whale’s initial color scheme as it embraced the unexpected neighborhood mascot.
It appears that type of quirkiness is desired with the whale’s next design. The call for artists comes a month after the city closed a survey seeking to find what residents want in the next mural. “Fun,” “community” and “iconic” were the three most frequently used words from the over 1,700 people who responded, followed by “unique” and “colorful.”
City officials weren’t surprised.
“It’s a pretty funky (and) unique area that prides itself on being quite different, and that came about in the survey,” Renato Olmedo-González told KSL.com.
Most of the people who responded say they often visit the district for shopping or other recreation, but over a third of respondents said they also live in the area. They called the whale unique because of how accessible it is to every resident, regardless of transportation mode, and because it draws people to local businesses.
It’s unclear yet how this will translate into a new design. The city is first looking for portfolios from Salt Lake County artists before selecting about three to five who will be tasked with coming up with their own concept, Olmedo-González explained.
Their designs — likely influenced by the survey report — will be presented to an art design board in May 2026. The board will notify the winner later that month, setting up a contracting phase next summer before the winner is announced in August. The city’s art council allocated $12,500 for the next mural, from the 1.5% of city project funds dedicated to public art.
The whale’s transformation should be complete by “late summer” 2026.
“We are very confident that whatever artwork ends up being selected will be quite strong, and it will make just a splash as the first one did,” Olmedo-González said.