One of Utah’s indigenous species aspires to secure a lasting residence in the Granary District.
“Kosmo,” a 20-foot-tall steel statue depicting a Kosmoceratops—a herbivorous dinosaur found within the boundaries of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument—stands as an artistic marvel created by Salt Lake City resident and artisan Garth Franklin. The intention behind this impressive piece is for Kosmo to serve as both a symbol and focal point for the revitalization efforts in Salt Lake City’s Granary District, similar to how the whale serves as a landmark for the area around 9th South and 9th East known as 9th and 9th.
Kosmo was created through the
open streets initiative
This is an ongoing yearly initiative involving the city, the Downtown Alliance, and The Blocks Arts District aimed at enhancing walkability and fostering pedestrian-oriented thoroughfares.
In the Granary District, the program initiated last September established a temporary pedestrian mall along 500 West (stretching from 700 South to 800 South) every Friday and Saturday, aiming to assess walkability within the region. The city allocated a $15,000 fund specifically for showcasing a modest collection of artwork as part of this effort, with Franklin being deemed the perfect choice for the task.
The initial major Granary project undertaken by Franklin was Hoodah, an enormous “trail troll” positioned along a stretch of disused railway tracks close to 400 West and 700 South. Local enterprises pooled their resources to fund his construction, after which Franklin finalized the artwork utilizing repurposed materials he sourced from a redwood deck in Park City.
“I created Kosmo based on the concept of Hoodah; I simply wanted to develop something akin to hyper-local,” Franklin explained.
He considered the Ninth and Ninth Whale, an “iconic piece” in Salt Lake City. However, when deciding his course of action, he felt that the sculpture formerly known as “Out of the Blue” wasn’t particularly relevant to a state without direct access to the ocean.
“So I attempted to consider, what was the most nearby creature I could think of?” he stated.
That’s when Franklin encountered an exhibit featuring triceratops-like dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum of Utah. He mentioned that various prehistoric entities and even modern animals overlap throughout the Intermountain West, though only Kosmoceratops specimens can be specifically highlighted here.
has only ever been discovered in present-day Utah
.
Thereafter, Franklin connected with paleontologist Mark Loewen, who played a role in both discovering and christening the dinosaur species.
He took me to the archives at the Natural History Museum where we saw the genuine original Kosmoceratops skull that had been found, along with several smaller fragments and even a baby Kosmoceratops,” Franklin stated. “That moment felt like discovering the ideal artifact for my artwork.
In contrast to Hoodah, which may change over time, Franklin constructed Kosmo using steel to endure as a lasting artistic installation.
He collaborated with Iron Mesa Studio founder Alec Gonos to assemble the dinosaur’s framework through welding. To maintain Kosmo’s connection to the Granary District, a nearby developer named Blazer Industries permitted Franklin to reclaim materials from an older structure they had bought within the neighborhood.
I managed to use many rusty tools and machines along with interesting shapes for this purpose,” Franklin explained. “On the non-structural aspects of Kosmo, I added elements that reflected his heritage—the craftsmanship tradition and tough work ethos of the Granary District—simply to maintain that atmosphere as the area keeps changing and expanding.
Franklin loves how Kosmo and Hoodah both belong to everyone and foster a sense of identity within the community, he mentioned.
In the last couple of years, for example, the Granary District has played host to
“Hoodah Fest,”
An occasion featuring food trucks and live music that showcases both established and newer local enterprises, regional murals, and various environmental issues—all gathered around Franklin’s friendly troll mascot.
Franklin stated about Hoodah, “He resides outside and witnesses daily the changes occurring in our climate and within the natural environment. Therefore, he acts as a guardian for everything around us.”
Tim Dwyer, who co-owns Fisher Brewing Company, chairs the Granary District Alliance, an association of local enterprises aiming to boost the area via environmentally conscious expansion.
Dwyer mentioned that one of their primary objectives is to move Kosmo to his permanent home at a roundabout before Hoodah Fest returns on September 27th later this year.
We want Kosmo positioned within that circle, essentially making it the whale of the West,” Dwyer stated. “We believe this will be an amazing feature that not only promotes safer traffic flow but also highlights the artistic and industrial character of the area.
Kosmo presently stands tall at the southeastern intersection of 500 West and 700 South, gazing down upon the location where he might eventually have a permanent home. Moving him, however, would require constructing an elevated platform along with new curbs and gutters atop what is currently a painted traffic circle.
“We genuinely require the city’s assistance to help Kosmo secure his permanent place, and essentially serve as a strong symbol of what our community stands for,” Dwyer stated.
