AUSTIN, Texas — Work is now underway on a new sculpture at Pease Park that will be known as “The Pease Park Troll." It's the latest work from artist Thomas Dambo.
Dambo specializes in making his sculptures from recycled materials, and this one is no different. It will be built using material from old pallets and an old, decommissioned water tower from the University of Texas at Austin’s J.J. Pickle Research Campus.
"It's about showing that with our own hands and with local help and volunteers, we can make really, really big things come true," Dambo said.
Dambo is from Denmark, where wooden trolls date back to the 1950s. This one will have a water theme as a reminder to share water with the rest of the species on the planet.
All funds have been provided by a donation from the Tejemos Foundation, a San Antonio-based organization offering grants to various establishments.
Going forward, the Pease Park Conservancy will fully fund and maintain the artwork. The Pease Park Conservancy is 100% funded by donors and says it works to "restore, enhance and maintain Pease Park's public green space for the sustainable use and enjoyment of all." No public funds were used to acquire the troll.
Dambo will grant a 15-year exclusive license to the artwork, subject to the conservancy maintaining the sculpture over that period.
The finished troll will be fully unveiled in two weeks, on March 15.