Attendees applauds speakers at An Evening For Malin, in celebration of the 18-foot tall Pease Park Troll created by artist Thomas Dambo. The sculpture burned down in May in fire that is under investigation by Austin officials. The celebration honored Malin’s legacy in Austin and brought together those who loved the artwork for an evening of remembrance, June 24, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
A crowd of roughly 100 people streamed into Austin’s Pease Park Wednesday evening, placing colorful flowers and handwritten notes as they gathered at the spot where their giant wooden troll friend, Malin, used to sit before she burned down in a May fire that remains under investigation.
The Pease Park Conservancy, which maintains the park where Malin’s Fountain called home, hosted “An Evening for Malin” to share memories of the sculpture created by Danish artist Thomas Dambo.
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Attendees applauds speakers at An Evening For Malin, in celebration of the 18-foot tall Pease Park Troll created by artist Thomas Dambo. The sculpture burned down in May in fire that is under investigation by Austin officials. The celebration honored Malin’s legacy in Austin and brought together those who loved the artwork for an evening of remembrance, June 24, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
“She is always going to be here,” philanthropist Lynne Dobson, whose Tejemos Foundation Fund helped bring Malin to Austin, told the crowd.
Dobson and her husband, Greg Wooldridge, first discovered Dambo’s troll sculptures at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Maine in 2022. That visit sparked the idea of bringing one to Pease Park, where Malin was unveiled in March 2024.
As Dobson recalled working with Dambo, his carpentry team and more than 150 local volunteers to build the sculpture, Wooldridge watched with tears in his eyes.
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For two decades, Wooldridge collected cedar root, which would later serve as Malin’s hair — a practice he claims his wife didn’t love.
“I’ve been collecting them forever. The funny thing is, Lynne hated them — she’d say, ‘Why are you always getting these,’ and I said, ‘Well, there’s a reason,” Wooldridge told the Statesman. “Thomas goes, ‘Well, I don’t know what to do with her hair,’ so he came out to my workshop, and I showed him how many I had, and he said it would be perfect. He even said he thought it was the best hair any of his trolls ever had.”
Charlotte Velasco places flowers in Malin’s Fountain at An Evening For Malin, in celebration of the 18-foot tall Pease Park Troll created by artist Thomas Dambo. The sculpture burned down in May in fire that is under investigation by Austin officials. The celebration honored Malin’s legacy in Austin and brought together those who loved the artwork for an evening of remembrance, June 24, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Letters and photos honoring the sculpture are displayed at An Evening For Malin, in celebration of the 18-foot tall Pease Park Troll created by artist Thomas Dambo. The sculpture burned down in May in fire that is under investigation by Austin officials. The celebration honored Malin’s legacy in Austin and brought together those who loved the artwork for an evening of remembrance, June 24, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
David McD is reflected in Malin’s fountain as he plays with Wild Texas Rose at An Evening For Malin, in celebration of the 18-foot tall Pease Park Troll created by artist Thomas Dambo. The sculpture burned down in May in fire that is under investigation by Austin officials. The celebration honored Malin’s legacy in Austin and brought together those who loved the artwork for an evening of remembrance, June 24, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Lynne Dobson embraces Greg Wooldridge as their efforts to bring a troll sculpture to Austin are celebrated at An Evening For Malin, in celebration of the 18-foot tall Pease Park Troll created by artist Thomas Dambo. The sculpture burned down in May in fire that is under investigation by Austin officials. The celebration honored Malin’s legacy in Austin and brought together those who loved the artwork for an evening of remembrance, June 24, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Leslie and James H. dance together at An Evening For Malin, in celebration of the 18-foot tall Pease Park Troll created by artist Thomas Dambo. The sculpture burned down in May in fire that is under investigation by Austin officials. The celebration honored Malin’s legacy in Austin and brought together those who loved the artwork for an evening of remembrance, June 24, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Luisa Apolaya listens to speakers at An Evening For Malin, in celebration of the 18-foot tall Pease Park Troll created by artist Thomas Dambo. The sculpture burned down in May in fire that is under investigation by Austin officials. The celebration honored Malin’s legacy in Austin and brought together those who loved the artwork for an evening of remembrance, June 24, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Flowers are placed in Malin’s Fountain at An Evening For Malin, in celebration of the 18-foot tall Pease Park Troll created by artist Thomas Dambo. The sculpture burned down in May in fire that is under investigation by Austin officials. The celebration honored Malin’s legacy in Austin and brought together those who loved the artwork for an evening of remembrance, June 24, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Ken Lembrecht listens to speakers at An Evening For Malin, in celebration of the 18-foot tall Pease Park Troll created by artist Thomas Dambo. The sculpture burned down in May in fire that is under investigation by Austin officials. The celebration honored Malin’s legacy in Austin and brought together those who loved the artwork for an evening of remembrance, June 24, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
A small likeness of Malin sits next to a written speech at An Evening For Malin, in celebration of the 18-foot tall Pease Park Troll created by artist Thomas Dambo. The sculpture burned down in May in fire that is under investigation by Austin officials. The celebration honored Malin’s legacy in Austin and brought together those who loved the artwork for an evening of remembrance, June 24, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Postcard with photos of Malin and a poem wait for attendees to take at An Evening For Malin, in celebration of the 18-foot tall Pease Park Troll created by artist Thomas Dambo. The sculpture burned down in May in fire that is under investigation by Austin officials. The celebration honored Malin’s legacy in Austin and brought together those who loved the artwork for an evening of remembrance, June 24, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Mark Matson picks up some bio char, made from the ashes of the Pease Park Troll sculpture at An Evening For Malin, in celebration of the 18-foot tall troll created by artist Thomas Dambo. The sculpture burned down in May in fire that is under investigation by Austin officials. The celebration honored Malin’s legacy in Austin and brought together those who loved the artwork for an evening of remembrance, June 24, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Signs asking for tip and information about the fire that burned down the Pease Park Troll are on display at An Evening For Malin, in celebration of the 18-foot tall sculpture created by artist Thomas Dambo. The sculpture, Malin, burned down in May in fire that is under investigation by Austin officials. The celebration honored Malin’s legacy in Austin and brought together those who loved the artwork for an evening of remembrance, June 24, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Scout, left, and Connor Gockel make artwork with paint created from the ashes of the Pease Park Troll at An Evening For Malin, in celebration of the 18-foot tall sculpture created by artist Thomas Dambo. The sculpture burned down in May in fire that is under investigation by Austin officials. The celebration honored Malin’s legacy in Austin and brought together those who loved the artwork for an evening of remembrance, June 24, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Letters and photos honoring the sculpture are displayed at An Evening For Malin, in celebration of the 18-foot tall Pease Park Troll created by artist Thomas Dambo. The sculpture burned down in May in fire that is under investigation by Austin officials. The celebration honored Malin’s legacy in Austin and brought together those who loved the artwork for an evening of remembrance, June 24, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
The Wild Texas Rose play at An Evening For Malin, in celebration of the 18-foot tall Pease Park Troll created by artist Thomas Dambo. The sculpture burned down in May in fire that is under investigation by Austin officials. The celebration honored Malin’s legacy in Austin and brought together those who loved the artwork for an evening of remembrance, June 24, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
David McD plays with Wild Texas Rose at An Evening For Malin, in celebration of the 18-foot tall Pease Park Troll created by artist Thomas Dambo. The sculpture burned down in May in fire that is under investigation by Austin officials. The celebration honored Malin’s legacy in Austin and brought together those who loved the artwork for an evening of remembrance, June 24, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Bio char, created from the ashes of the Pease Park Troll, for use in the garden, waits to be taken home by attendees at An Evening For Malin, in celebration of the 18-foot tall Pease Park Troll created by artist Thomas Dambo. The sculpture burned down in May in fire that is under investigation by Austin officials. The celebration honored Malin’s legacy in Austin and brought together those who loved the artwork for an evening of remembrance, June 24, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Kimberly Zielnicki plays with Wild Texas Rose at An Evening For Malin, in celebration of the 18-foot tall Pease Park Troll created by artist Thomas Dambo. The sculpture burned down in May in fire that is under investigation by Austin officials. The celebration honored Malin’s legacy in Austin and brought together those who loved the artwork for an evening of remembrance, June 24, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Lynne Dobson embraces Greg Wooldridge as their efforts to bring a troll sculpture to Austin are celebrated at An Evening For Malin, in celebration of the 18-foot tall Pease Park Troll created by artist Thomas Dambo. The sculpture burned down in May in fire that is under investigation by Austin officials. The celebration honored Malin’s legacy in Austin and brought together those who loved the artwork for an evening of remembrance, June 24, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Attendees blew bubbles and listened to music while conservancy leaders and local officials reflected on what many called the “patron saint of Pease Park.”
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Though Dambo lives an ocean away, Pease Park Conservancy CEO Nicole Netherton read a text message from the artist to the crowd.
“Dear friends of Malin, it means a lot to me that so many of you have come together to celebrate her energy,” Dambo’s text read. “I’m, of course, sad that she is no longer to be found in Pease Park, but the overwhelming love and messages I’ve received from so many of you show me that she still lives on. I feel honored to spend my life building art that brings people together, art that shows our garbage can become something good, a positive energy rather than a negative force breaking our world apart, and it means the world to me that all of you are here to celebrate that. I hope to be back.”
Dambo told the Statesman in May he was “saddened and shocked by the news” that the sculpture had been destroyed, adding, “Malin was built with love alongside hundreds of people in Austin. She belonged to the community and to the wonderful Pease Park she called home.”
Lauren Levi photographs the Pease Park troll by Danish recycle artist Thomas Dambo in Pease Park Monday March 18, 2024. The 18-foot-tall troll, named Malin, is made of local recycled wood and focuses on the relationship between humans, animals, and nature. The project, which is a collaboration with Pease Park Conservancy and Austin Parks and Recreation, was unveiled Friday. Dambo has made works with recycled materials in more than 25 countries on five continents, including 125 of his signature trolls.
Jay Janner / American-Statesman
‘I would just talk to her’
Denise Brady’s husband, Chris Riley, never got to make the trek from where they lived near the Texas Capitol to see what would later become one of his wife’s comfort spots. Brady said she’d visit Malin when Riley had terminal cancer.
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“I used to come here and just talk to her, and visit her, and then he passed away, and I just kept coming,” Brady told the Statesman. “I felt like she just emanated this strength at a time when I really needed it.”
Brady’s voice cracked as she talked about Malin’s absence, describing the weeks she would visit constantly, bringing a blanket and watching as children approached the gentle giant.
“I would tell them that she was a female, for some reason that was important to me,” Brady said with a laugh. “When they would call her ‘he,’ I would say [she’s] a female, [she’s] a girl.”
Austin City Council member Marc Duchen also corrected himself when he mistakenly referred to the troll as “Mr. Malin” when presenting the proclamation declaring June 24 as “Malin’s Fountain Day” in the city.
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Elizabeth Gray was one of the volunteers who helped bring Malin to life. She met Dambo, and at the time she was helping create the treasured troll, her daughter was living in Copenhagen.
“It kind of all spoke to me in that way, and I was so happy to have a piece of that energy and culture here,” Gray told the Statesman.
Flowers mark the site Tuesday, May 26, 2026, where Malin, the 18-foot-tall Pease Park troll sculpture by Danish recycled-materials artist Thomas Dambo, burned in an early morning fire May 21 in Austin. The sculpture, unveiled in March 2024 as Dambo’s first troll in Texas, was destroyed in the fire and remains under investigation by Austin fire officials.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Looking ahead while honoring the past
Despite the mix of melancholic emotions, there was also talk of what comes next. How to keep Malin “alive in living things,” both figuratively and literally.
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Bags of her ashes, “Malin’s Magic Mix,” were handed out to those gathered for use as a soil-like substitute.
“I am going to put it around one of the cactuses I have growing in my yard,” said Henry Hancock, a boy who attended Malin’s first birthday and has “loved her” ever since.
Malin, for now, will be commemorated in the spot of gravel, where a circle of rocks wraps around the original bowl she held.
“Malin has won the day, despite her short time with us, wouldn’t you agree?” Dobson said as the crowd cheered.
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Signs asking for tip and information about the fire that burned down the Pease Park Troll are on display at An Evening For Malin, in celebration of the 18-foot tall sculpture created by artist Thomas Dambo. The sculpture, Malin, burned down in May in fire that is under investigation by Austin officials. The celebration honored Malin’s legacy in Austin and brought together those who loved the artwork for an evening of remembrance, June 24, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Arson investigation continues
The Austin Fire Department responded to reports of a fire at Pease Park at 5:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 21. When fire crews arrived five minutes later, they extinguished the blaze, but Malin was destroyed.
Arson investigators arrived on the scene shortly after. Signs posted at the scene asked anyone with information about the fire to call 1-877-434-7345. The signs remained at the park during Wednesday’s celebration honoring the sculpture.
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Detail of hands holding a water basin of the Pease Park troll by Danish recycle artist Thomas Dambo in Pease Park Monday March 18, 2024. The 18-foot-tall troll, named Malin, is made of local recycled wood and focuses on the relationship between humans, animals, and nature. The project, which is a collaboration with Pease Park Conservancy and Austin Parks and Recreation, was unveiled Friday. Dambo has made works with recycled materials in more than 25 countries on five continents, including 125 of his signature trolls.
Jay Janner / American-Statesman
Malin, Dambo’s first Texas troll, was built from reused materials, including local recycled wood, old pallets and components from a decommissioned water tower at the J.J. Pickle Research Campus. The sculpture was designed around water conservation, with Malin holding a basin symbolizing Austin’s relationship with wildlife, drought and shared natural resources.
Staff writer Dante Motley contributed to this report.