This ambitious public art project is presented by Scan Design Foundation, whose mission is to support Danish-American relations with a focus on environmental sustainability. NWTrolls: Way of the Bird King features six giant hand-built troll sculptures by Danish environmental artist, Thomas Dambo. The publicly-accessible sculptures are located around the Pacific Northwest where each whimsical troll sculpture is part of an underlying environmental story. The project celebrates the human experience of art by amplifying the connections of cultural heritage between Coast Salish tribal communities and Scandinavian traditions. Thanks to our funding partners and host site partners, there is no admission fee to visit any of the trolls.
Thomas consulted with tribal groups and Nordic representatives to best integrate the shared values of protecting the PNW’s natural resources. For some sites, more involved collaboration was nurtured and factored into the creative process.
Bruun Idun: Muckleshoot artist, Coyote, carved a flute with killer whales, symbolizing the call for whales back to the Salish Sea.
Ole Bolle: Nordia House built a traditional Fogelbo (meaning “bird’s nest”) house to lure Ole Bolle.
Jakob Two Trees: Ginger de los Angeles from the Snoqualmie Tribe gifted braided cedar bark hair tie, bracelets and a necklace.
In the summer of 2023, over a span of 7 weeks, the Dambo crew and a small army of volunteers completed the 6 installations.
A troll takes roughly 7-9 days to build. The trolls were built concurrently during the 7 week timeframe, with two trolls being worked on simultaneously.
A combination of structural wood, used pallets, and found decorations including shells, tree branches, stones and other organic material.
A combination of structural wood, used pallets, and found decorations including shells, tree branches, stones and other organic material.
Each site sourced its own materials, but almost all of the recycled and reclaimed culled lumber, construction scrap wood, used pallets and decorative materials were donated from local businesses and individuals.
Yes, the intention is that visitors can interact and engage with the Trolls. Visitors are free to hug and/or take pictures with the trolls.
No climbing is allowed. Signage requests visitors refrain from climbing the sculptures to avoid injury and to ensure that the trolls can be enjoyed for many years to come.
August 25th, 2024 10am to 12pm
Come help restore natural areas surrounding the troll and making space for winter planting season. Meet us at the troll in Lincoln Park, West Seattle.
Created in partnership with Geocaching HQ, the NW Trolls project is proud to offer six geocache adventures to help guide your troll journey. Each adventure includes one troll and ten additional objects of interest along the way.
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