CityState : Current
The Trolls Are Coming
A Danish artist ’ s giant trolls will mark the beginning of a statewide public art trail at Ninigret Park .
Artist Thomas Dambo , center , with some of his trolls , which are scattered throughout the globe .
Trolls are coming to South County . Don ’ t be alarmed : They ’ re not the oversized , dim-witted ogres you may remember from fairy tales and The Lord of the Rings books .
Rather , these trolls are gentle giants , hulking creatures crafted from scrap wood and old wooden pallets who lure visitors with their magical presence and playful poses .
They ’ re the work of Danish artist Thomas Dambo , and if everything goes as planned , two of them will call Ninigret Park home next year in what South County Tourism Council President Louise Bishop hopes is the beginning of a public art trail that stretches throughout the state . “ I ’ m absolutely thrilled that they ’ re coming ,” she says . Dambo made his first troll — Hector the Protector — on the Puerto Rican island of Culebra in 2014 . Bishop read an article about him in 2019 and wondered if they could bring something similar to Rhode Island .
“ I was enamored ,” Bishop says . “ I thought , ‘ I wonder if that could actually happen where we are ?’”
One hundred of Dambo ’ s trolls are scattered throughout the globe in seventeen countries . One sits on the banks of a lake , lazily fishing ; two lie on their backs , gazing up at the stars ; one sits cross-legged , hugging the trunk of a tree ; and some , like Hector the Protector , look out to the sea , holding a lantern to light the way for visitors .
Dambo visited Ninigret in May to look at the area and come up with ideas for the trolls . ( All of his trolls have back stories and lore associated with them .) The Charlestown park makes a prime location , Bishop says , with its 227 acres , open space and plenty of parking .
She envisions a grand entryway , maybe decorated with greenery , with local shells and stones lining the paths to the statues . Pamphlets with QR codes would show the art trail and other points of interest along the way . Bishop has already reached out to Bob Billington , president and CEO of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council , who ’ s also on board .
“ Our whole goal is to start in South County and move into the state and up to Blackstone Valley ,” she says . “ We hope it will create an economic driver of people coming for tourism and overnights .”
A $ 50,000 state placemaking grant , funded through the American Rescue Plan Act , is paving the way for the project .
Bishop is hopeful the trolls will draw visitors to South County and beyond . After installing five Dambo trolls on its grounds , the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens saw a record-breaking number of visitors in 2021 .
The Ninigret Park project is still in the beginning stages , but from what she ’ s seen so far , Bishop is encouraged .
“ Everyone is coming to the table on this and I ’ m thrilled .” — D . L . 🆁
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF THOMAS DAMBO .
20 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l JUNE 2023