Salt Lake City's 9th & 9th whale is about to receive an eye-opening new look

SALT LAKE CITY — A roar erupted from a crowd gathered to celebrate "801 Day," as a banner unfurled to reveal the next design for Salt Lake City's cherished whale.

Moments later, they chanted, "Whale! Whale! Whale!" while Salt Lake-based artist Jiyoun Lee-Lodge held up a model of her winning design.

Four years after making a splash, Salt Lake City's "Out of the Blue," the 23-foot-tall whale sculpture leaping out of the roundabout at the intersection of 900 South and 1100 East, is getting a fresh new, partially eye-opening look that aims to draw attention to and celebrate the city's namesake.

"I'm very grateful," she said about getting to be a part of the whale's lore.

Lee-Lodge's piece, "Open Your Eyes," was selected by the Salt Lake City Arts Council to replace the original mural design, "Point of Reference," which artist Mike Murdock painted on the whale when it debuted in 2022. About 100 people braved the heat on Saturday to see the new design before it's painted onto the whale in the coming weeks.

The new mural will be pink and blue with a large open eye painted onto one side of the whale's body, and a closed eye on the other. Both are located above the waves at its base.

It's meant to reflect the colors and experiences of the Great Salt Lake and also the state's vast skies, Lee-Lodge explained. The waves, or moving water, reflect people coming in and out of the city, making "interesting waves" to make a shared community.

The eyes symbolize keeping an open eye on the 9th & 9th district and city, hoping that it inspires people to welcome others. It's topped with a rainbow of dots, a feature in many of her other works, that represent the many different groups gathered in the city.

"The colors may change, but 'Out of the Blue' will remain the joyfully unexpected landmark that Salt Lakers have made their own," said Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall. "This new mural, inspired by Great Salt Lake, reflects a city that can hold onto what it loves while continuing to grow, evolve and see itself in new ways."

Reimagining the whale

Murdock's "Point of Reference," an abstract interpretation of the city's colorful sunsets, ultimately became a revered piece, ending up on clothing, flags and other merchandise, and it was also adopted into some of the neighborhood's signage.

But it was never intended to be the whale's only look. From the beginning, the Salt Lake City Arts Council said it wanted to turn the whale into the canvas for local artists to paint it in different ways every three to five years.

Born in Korea, Lee-Lodge earned fine arts degrees from Chung-Ang University in Seoul, as well as Brooklyn College in New York City, before relocating to the Salt Lake area almost a decade ago. Her work, which she describes as being inspired by surrealism and animation influenced by her "shifting identity as an immigrant," has been featured all over the globe, including a sculpture at the 600 South TRAX stop.

She applied to paint the whale's original mural, but missed out. Seeing its enormous response didn't dissuade her from trying again, along with approximately three dozen other local artists who applied last year.

The group was narrowed down to four finalists, all of whom received a model of the whale and a few months to design their own mural on it.

"As soon as I was selected as a finalist, I had a vision about the eyes," she told KSL. "I wanted to tell the story about the neighborhood, and also really complement the contour of the whale itself because it's a really strong personality."

Other elements to honor the neighborhood, such as the colorful dots, came together in the artistic process.

Water also came naturally from her previous work, but the region's water scarcity also came to mind. That, on top of the vivid skies, merged into the blue-and-pink primary color scheme.

It's a secondary piece she hopes people take away from her forthcoming piece.

"I hope that those things can seem more real to people to remind themselves to be cautious or aware of the water problem ... and help each other keep Salt Lake still weird and fun, and lively," she added.

She presented her design to the Salt Lake City Art Design Board earlier this summer.

Members of the board had already reviewed the results of a survey, which gathered responses from over 1,700 residents. Many said they wanted the next design to be "fun" and "iconic," while also highlighting the community. Words like "unique" and "colorful" were also thrown out by survey participants.

The survey wasn't a rubric, but it helped the council know what residents would like to see from the next design, said Renato Olmedo-González, public art program manager for the city arts council. The three other designs were unique in their own right, but Lee-Lodge's piece was unanimously selected.

"All four were really fun, but this one just accomplished the goals differently," said Olmedo-González, adding that it was "hugely important" to focus on the Great Salt Lake as it continues to tumble closer to a record low.

A new paint job

The work isn't over just yet. "Out of the Blue" will receive a primer coat later this month, meaning Murdock's design will remain visible for the time being. Lee-Lodge is scheduled to begin painting her new mural toward the end of this month.

She joked Saturday that she hopes it isn't as hot by then, as she thinks about the logistics of working on a large public canvas. It's expected to be completed by Oct. 3, and there will be a formal celebration during an event called "Whale Fest" the same day.

She's also eager to see how it's received, knowing that there are big shoes to fill with the original design's fanfare.

"People love (the whale) and cherish it," she said. "I'm really hoping that this becomes part of the continuing legacy."

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