GIANT TROLL LINKS JACKSON WITH OTHER COMMUNITIES STEWARDING RESOURCES & CREATIVITY

By Carrie Geraci, JH Public Art

This spring, Jackson Hole Public Art will bring a Giant Troll to life for all to enjoy. Artist Thomas Dambo - a highly acclaimed recycling artist - is traveling to Jackson from his native Denmark to construct a site-specific, immersive art installation, set within the Jackson Hole Land Trust’s beloved community conservation property, Rendezvous “R” Park. What’s perhaps most exciting is that the statue will be built entirely from recycled wood and locallysourced materials. To educate local youth about the importance of reuse, reduce and recycle, JH Public Art has teamed up with Subaru America, Grand Teton National Park, National Parks Conservation Association, and the Teton County Integrated Solid Waste & Recycling Center’s “Zero Landfill’’ initiative to offer an exciting STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) project facilitated with support from the pARTners program. Throughout the next few months, local youth in first and second grades will participate in an artist challenge to create their own

mini-troll out of recycled and repurposed materials. Mini-trolls will be displayed in troll villages that will pop-up around the community during the building process.

“The Recycling Center is thrilled to partner with JH Public Art and the other team members to support the education and highlight the importance of reuse. The Giant Troll and mini-trolls are excellent examples of the amazing things that can be created with reused materials and we are excited to see the finished products!” says Carrie Bell, Waste Diversion and Outreach Coordinator, Teton County Integrated Solid Waste and Recycling.

Jackson’s new giant troll (name to-be-determined) will stay on location for 3-5 years. Each of Dambo’s trolls are incorporated into an ever-evolving folklore, “The Great Story of the Little People”, building upon their inherent mystery and whimsy. The modern tale connects over 55 trolls scattered throughout the world, uniting us as stewards of sustainability, nature-lovers, art enthusiasts, and adventurers of all ages. The goal is to create a piece of art that inspires people to go explore, have outdoor adventures, and consider their environmental impacts.

JH Public Art is working closely with the Jackson Hole Land Trust to avoid disrupting important ecological areas of R Park such as the wetlands and the areas of concentrated wildlife habitat. Both organizations will also work to actively address visitation concerns for as long as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our community and our world. A fundraising campaign began on December 1, 2020.

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ARE YOU A LOCAL CONTRACTOR? WE ARE SEEKING TOOLS, MATERIALS AND 150 DECONSTRUCTED WOOD PALLETS AS TROLL BUILDING BLOCKS. CONTACT ALEX POPE, JH PUBLIC ART PROGRAM MANAGER ART TO CONTRIBUTE!

AUTHOR BIO + CONTACT INFO

Geraci founded JH Public Art in 2010. Since then, JH Public Art has installed multiple public permanent and temporary installations totaling over $700,000 in value. JH Public Art has developed public art plans for the Town of Jackson, Teton Village Association, and St. John’s Medical Center; and produced the Public Art & Placemaking Toolkit for Rural Communities in the Intermountain West, a resource for communities looking to launch public art and creative placemaking programs. Geraci served one term on the Americans for the Arts council. Formerly a full-time artist Carrie Geraci used to show her artwork at the Tayloe Piggott Gallery. She lives in Jackson with her husband and two boys who are attending University of Wyoming and University of Utah. For more information contact: Carrie Geraci, Executive Director | carrie@jhpublicart.org | 307-413-1474 | www.jhpublicart.org