CLINTON, Iowa (KWQC) – A new public art project is taking shape in Clinton, bringing together history, creativity and community involvement.<\/p>\n
Three giant wooden troll sculptures are being built in the city with help from local volunteers. <\/p>\n
The project, based on designs by Danish artist Thomas Dambo, is expected to draw tens of thousands of visitors every year.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a huge online presence of troll hunters, and once you\u2019ve seen one troll, you want to see all of them,\u201d Andy Green, director of the Sawmill Museum, said. \u201cSo we\u2019re preparing for 60 to 100,000 visitors every year just coming in here to Clinton to see the trolls.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Dambo created the designs, it\u2019s his team\u2014along with local volunteers\u2014who are bringing the sculptures to life using reclaimed materials sourced from around the community.<\/p>\n
Among them is Scott Davis, part of Dambo\u2019s artist team. Originally from Texas, he now lives in Oakland, California, and has helped build several troll sculptures across the U.S.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am an oil painter and now a recycled wood sculptor,\u201d Davis said. \u201cI am working on one of the hands for the troll. This is going to be a hand that is resting on the belly\u2026 this is a mock-up of the angles that all the fingers are going to be at.\u201d<\/p>\n
Volunteers of all experience levels are taking part in the build, working alongside project leaders to assemble the intricate wooden structures.<\/p>\n
Drew Mangler is one of them, a volunteer helping build the sculptures piece by piece.<\/p>\n
The process involves creativity and problem-solving, as builders work with reclaimed wood that doesn\u2019t always fit perfectly.<\/p>\n
\u201cFind a piece that fits\u2014if it doesn\u2019t, find something else that\u2019ll work,\u201d Davis said. \u201cIt\u2019s all mostly scrap wood, so it\u2019s kind of like putting a puzzle together, except the pieces don\u2019t always fit.\u201d<\/p>\n
Green said the sculptures are meant to tell a story rooted in Clinton\u2019s past.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur board president had seen the trolls and thought they\u2019d be a great way to not only bring art to Clinton, but also to share Clinton\u2019s lumber history,\u201d Green said.<\/p>\n
That history dates back to the late 1800s, when Clinton was known as the \u201cLumber Capital of the World,\u201d with logs transported down the Mississippi River to local sawmills.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese trolls are not only made of lumber, but a good portion of their skin is lumber that would have been cut by one of the lumber companies,\u201d Green said. \u201cSo we\u2019ve been able to really tie that in with the lumber history here in Clinton.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dambo has created more than 170 troll sculptures worldwide, including installations in 23 states. The Clinton project will mark his first in Iowa and his first along the Mississippi River.<\/p>\n
Project leaders said the project is expected to boost tourism and help position Clinton as a growing destination for public art and culture.<\/p>\n
The trolls will be unveiled May 1, along with the renovated Bickelhaupt Arboretum. <\/p>\n
One will be placed at the arboretum, one at the museum, and one in downtown Clinton.<\/p>\n
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