Danish recycling artist Thomas Dambo to build one of his trademark trolls, which will be the first one in California
The California Nature Art Museum in Solvang has announced its most ambitious project to date — commissioning Thomas Dambo, a world-renowned Danish artist who specializes in creating large, whimsical trolls made from recycled materials, to build his first permanent troll in California.
Dambo who is celebrated for his imaginative and colossal sculptures, breathes new life into discarded resources, showcasing the boundless potential hidden within the world’s trash cans. The recycling artist chose to install his first permanent troll in Solvang, the Danish Capital of America, at the California Nature Art Museum. With the community’s help, this troll, whose name, back- story, and design will be kept a mystery until “she” (the only clue that has been revealed to date) will be constructed and installed in the latter half of January 2025.
Dambo has built well over 100 of these large trolls, each with its own unique story and name, in 16 countries, with 52 here in the United States, none of which are in California. This troll will be unique, as it will be the only one to behoused indoors. With the contract now finalized with the artist, the museum is launching an effort to complete the fundraising to build this troll which will quickly become a major visitor attraction in the Santa Ynez Valley and beyond. The museum has raised $120,000 to date and needs $180,000 to complete the campaign. It is also looking for in-kind donations to support the project, such as wooden pallets and used wine barrels. Given the large size of the troll, dozens of pallets and barrels will be required. Dambo always involves the local community during installation, so the museum will soon announce volunteer opportunities to be part of that effort.
“We are so excited and proud to be working with Thomas Dambo and to soon be hosting his first permanent troll in California as well as his only indoor troll. She will welcome visitors to Solvang and the Valley from our tower 24/7 and connect us to the unique Danish culture and heritage here in Solvang,” said Stacey Otte-Demangate, executive director for California Nature Art Museum.“ Most importantly she will be made out of recycled pallets and wine barrels, which speaks to our mission, and our love for the environment and desire to operate as a green business.”
Dambo has been commissioned to create a large, wooden, sustainably built troll to be installed in the museum’s highly visible tower, which faces Mission Drive, a well-traveled entry point to Solvang. The troll will welcome and attract both tourists and locals to the museum and the Santa Ynez Valley and provide special opportunities to engage the community. Dambo’s method of community involvement and his artistic ethics are a perfect match for the museum’s mission, which is “to inspire a love of nature through art.” His trolls reflect an ancient tradition in Scandinavian culture that remains relevant today.
“My mission is ‘Waste No More.’ Our world is drowning in trash while we are running out of natural resources,”Dambo said. “I spend my life showing the world that beautiful things can be made from trash, and I give new life to discarded materials by turning them into large-scale artworks. These projects come to life using hundreds of tons of recycled materials, working in and with local communities — who are the co-creators of the art that I make — because the mission I follow needs the involvement of everybody. My aim is to build 1,000 trolls using recycled materials all over the world.”
Dambo crafts a unique story for each troll about the importance of exploring and protecting nature. Several months ago, Dambo was featured on “CBS Sunday Morning” and his work was recently profiled in the Washington Post and USA Today. Dambo has an active social media presence and shares stories of his unique trolls from all over the world.Dambo has a large following who enjoy traveling to find his trolls, most of which live outdoors in nature, as an enticement to get people outside. He even has a “troll map” to assist searchers in locating his pieces.
This very special installation would not be possible without the generosity of our early sponsors including the Schiele Family Foundation, Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, Visit the Santa Ynez Valley, Allan Hancock College, Margaret Weiss and Sterling Collett, and Belinda and Robert Hart. More information about the troll project can be found at calnatureartmuseum.org/news/thomas-dambo-at-calnam?rq=dambo%20troll which also includes a link for online donations. Donations of $500 and above will be listed on a sponsor board in the museum lobby, near the entrance to the Michele Kuelbs Tower, where the troll will soon live.
The California Nature Art Museum is open weekdays 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (except Tuesday and Wednesday) and weekends 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is supported by the generosity of its sponsors and members. For more information, please visit calnatureartmuseum.org.
To see Dambo’s completed works, go to thomasdambo.com/works.
Feature image: The sculpture “Bruun Idun,” which sits in Lincoln Park in Seattle, is one of 153 troll sculptures made out of recycled materials by Danish artist Thomas Dambo. A new one will soon by installed at the California Nature Art Museum in Solvang. Contributed Photo.
