Kosmo the Dino

 Kosmo the Dino is a new art piece that will hopefully one day become a permanent fixture in the Granary District of Salt Lake City. Right now it is temporarily located at about 5th West and 7th South. Kosmo is a steel sculpture of a Kosmoceratops dinosaur. The artist Garth Franklin hopes it will be a a mascot and anchor of the Granary District. Similar to the 9th and 9th Whale, Out of the Blue.

I did not expect to explore Kosmo so quickly, I heard about him, added him to my list of possible neat things to see, and less than a week later we happened to be in the area. So, yay.

I really enjoyed this statue, and if I had known it was so neat, I would have made a special trip for it alone. However, maybe do what I did and keep it in mind as a random add-on. You can also add nearby Hoodah.

Quick Details:

Length: NA
Trail Type: Drive up and see.
Difficulty: Drive up and see, DR1.
Elevation Gain: NA
Restroom: No.
Dogs? Dogs are allowed on city sidewalks. Please clean up after your furry friends.
Other Info: This is not it’s permanent location. But hopefully close to it.

To Get Here:

Take i15 to the 6th South exit. Heading east. Turn right on 4th west, then right on 7th South, Kosmo is currently on the left on 5th West. But will hopefully be in the middle of the intersection one day.

The historic 5th Ward building (Passenger Seat Photography (PSP)). This made the news recently due to the owner illegally starting demolition on it. In the early 2000’s it was a club called Sanctuary and was where me and my friends spent much of our 20’s.

Just a smidge to the east is Hoodah (PSP) Fun fact, he was built by the same artist Garth Franklin. Unlike Kosmo, he is expected to weather over time due to being made from lumber.

Again (PSP).

There it is (PSP) Hooray. We got lucky and found street parking right next to it.

The Adventure:

The neat statue. Wow! It is a lot cooler than I anticipated!

Name plaque. I am surprised to see the artist, Garth Franklin did not “sign” it. Its a cool sculpture dude, let people know who created it! However, I imagine when it is placed in it's final location there will be an information sign.

Fun art blocks.

The side. I was curious if it is life size or not. At 20 feet long, it is actually larger than the estimated 15 foot length of the species it is modeled after.

More art blocks.

Kosmo again.

As a dinosaur lover, and art enthusiast I resoundingly approve of this piece, and I hope to see it find a permanent home!

The “unofficial” roundabout. The neighborhood has decided to take matters into their own hands due to the city deciding it is not a priority.

Back to Kosmo. Kosmoceratops was a plant eating dinosaur in the Ceratopsidae family which includes the much more well know triceratops. It lived here about 76 million years ago in the late Cretaceous Period.

Franklin felt that Out of The Blue didn’t have a lot to do with a landlocked state. So he wanted to do the most local animal he could think of. Then he discovered the display of Ceratopsidae at the Natural History of Utah. Todays creatures, and other ancient animals are found all over the mountain west but, Kosmoceratops have only ever been found in what is now Utah. It was originally discovered in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Franklin met with paleontologist Mark Loewen, who was involved in the discovery and naming of the dinosaur and was able to see the fossil that became his inspiration.

As I said, there is a large display of Ceratopsidae in the Natural History Museum of Utah.

You can see the Kosmoceratops skull fossil in the middle right here. #10.

Middle bottom here.

That is super fun to connect the art to the fossil it is based upon. And I must say, the artists depiction of it was good enough that I immediately zeroed in on it against the other skulls on display. So, huge kudos there man!

Franklin partnered with Iron Mesa Studio founder Alec Gonos to weld the dinosaur’s frame together.

The roundabout. As I understand it, they hope that will eventually be Kosmo’s permanent location, along with a more permanent roundabout structure.

The front. I .. I kind of think this is neater than most of the dinosaur statues you find around Vernal. You know, now that I am thinking of it, Salt Lake City, and well, the entire valley could definitely use more dinosaur statues! That's it's I am calling my local legislator... no but seriously, we do need more dino art.

The side again. I like that he is filled with plants.

The art boxes again.

The back. Like Hoodah, Kosmo is made of recycled materials. The materials for Kosmo came from a nearby building that was demolished. Franklin adorned him with additional rusted tools and machinery that represent the gritty ethic of the Granary District.

Rusty sawblades.

The other side.

The plants inside.

The toes are old horseshoes. I don’t know why, but that tickled me.

The side of the head.

I love the various details.

Again.

The front.

The face.

The full name is Kosmoceratops richardsoni, Kosmoceratops means ornamented horned face. It has 15 horns and spikes on it's face. It has therefor been nicknamed the horny-est dinosaur ever. The only 2 known found specimens are currently housed at the Natural History Museum of Utah.

Yep, I count 15 here. You can see an artists interpretation of what it might have looked lie on the NHMU's instagram (outside link),

Richardsoni honors Scott Richardson who found the specimens.

Man this is just making me want to go the the museum again. 

The other side of the head.

The sign again.

Well, this is different. There is a tree protection zone here.

Said trees. Alright, time to get some dinner.

Hoodah again (PSP).

The Great Sears Lake (PSP). Which is the pit from the former Sears building that filled with water after it was demolished. Eventually wildlife moved into it.

Well, that was a fun add-on adventure! Like I said, I like neat art, and I love dinosaurs so it’s great for me. I also love the unique and personal tie to Utah. The artist did a great job, and I look forward to seeing it become a permanent anchor for the neighborhood. I wonder if it will attract a weird cult following like Out of the Blue did.10/10 would visit again.

As for difficulty, it really is just get out and see. DR1.

Dogs are allowed on city sidewalks. Please clean up after your furry friends.