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Danish environmental artist Thomas Dambo created Northwest Trolls: Way of the Bird King, a 2023 public-art exhibition of six giant, hand-built Nordic trolls. Five stand around Puget Sound and one stands in Portland. Scan Design Foundation managed the collaboration, while grants from Scan Design Foundation and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation helped fund it.
The installations turn pallets, scrap wood and found natural objects into free outdoor encounters. Their stories connect Danish and Scandinavian folklore with Coast Salish communities, watershed protection and habitat stewardship.
Who made the giant trolls?
Thomas Dambo, a Danish environmental artist and storyteller, led the project with his construction team, local volunteers and cultural collaborators. Dambo is known for building monumental figures from discarded materials and placing them in public landscapes rather than galleries.
As he put it, “I want people to know that trash has value. My trolls do that, and also help me tell stories, like the legends I grew up with.” His broader principle is that “In nature, there is no landfill. Nature is circular, everything has a meaning and everything is recycled.”
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Scan Design Foundation organized the Northwest collaboration. The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation provided grant support alongside Scan Design Foundation. Alaska Air, Icelandair, the National Foundation for Danish America, Republic Services and Re-Use Consulting were also listed as project sponsors.
Where are the six Northwest Trolls?
The 2023 exhibition placed one sculpture at each of six sites. The official project materials describe every installation as publicly accessible without an admission charge.
| Location | Named troll or identifying detail | Visitor and story notes |
|---|---|---|
| West Seattle | Bruun Idun | Muckleshoot artist Coyote carved a flute decorated with killer whales, symbolizing a call for whales to return to the Salish Sea. |
| Ballard | Name not stated in the official project summary | One of the Seattle-area installations; consult the project’s visitor guide for the exact site information. |
| Issaquah | Jakob Two Trees | Ginger de los Angeles of the Snoqualmie Tribe gave the troll a cedar-bark hair tie, bracelets and a necklace. |
| Bainbridge Island | Name not stated in the official project summary | The island installation is part of the free public exhibition; the visitor guide supplies current access details. |
| Vashon Island | Oscar the Bird King | Located at Point Robinson Park. From the upper parking lot, the official guide describes a walk of less than 0.5 miles. |
| Portland | Ole Bolle | Installed on the Nordic Northwest campus as part of the Northwest Nordic Troll Hunt. A traditional Fogelbo, or “bird’s nest” house, was built to lure him there. |
Are the trolls free to visit?
The six 2023 installations were designed as free, outdoor public experiences, with no admission fee. Travel costs, parking, ferry fares and any separate costs at a host property can still apply.
Vashon Island access
Reaching Oscar the Bird King at Point Robinson Park requires a ferry trip to Vashon Island. After arriving at the park, the official visitor guide places the walk from the upper parking lot at under half a mile. Check ferry schedules, parking rules and trail conditions before leaving; the guide’s distance is not a guarantee of accessibility for every mobility aid or weather condition.
How long will the 2023 sculptures remain?
The original announcement planned for each site to host its troll for at least three years. That commitment does not establish that every sculpture is still installed after the hosting period. Anyone planning a current visit should confirm the location on the official Northwest Trolls information before traveling.
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What are the sculptures made of?
The bodies combine structural wood, used pallets and found decorations, including shells, branches, stones and other organic material. The reclaimed components are not merely a visual style: they carry the exhibition’s argument that discarded materials can have another useful life.
How the construction worked
- Dambo’s team built each troll’s head, hands and feet in Denmark.
- Those large components crossed the Atlantic by container.
- In the United States, the team and local volunteers built the bodies on site around the shipped pieces.
- Found objects and locally meaningful details completed each figure and its story.
The official project FAQ estimates roughly seven to nine days to build one troll. All six were completed over seven weeks in summer 2023, with more than 200 volunteers participating across the exhibition.
What do the stories have to do with Coast Salish communities?
Way of the Bird King places Nordic troll traditions alongside the living cultures and environmental knowledge of Coast Salish communities. The project included collaboration with the Muckleshoot and Snoqualmie tribes and used the sculptures to discuss watersheds, riparian restoration, habitat care and responsibility to place.
The cultural details are specific rather than decorative. Coyote’s killer-whale flute for Bruun Idun invokes the Salish Sea and the return of whales. Gifts from Snoqualmie artist Ginger de los Angeles give Jakob Two Trees a local connection through cedar bark and personal adornment. These contributions sit beside Dambo’s Scandinavian storytelling instead of replacing Coast Salish perspectives with a generic “Pacific Northwest” theme.
Allen Foundation arts and communities program director Cat Martin described the project as a celebration of “the connection between Coast Salish tribal communities, Danish and Scandinavian traditions, and our shared value of environmental stewardship.”
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Who funded and organized the exhibition?
Scan Design Foundation managed the collaboration and was one of its grant funders. The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation also supplied grant support. Additional named sponsors were Alaska Air, Icelandair, the National Foundation for Danish America, Republic Services and Re-Use Consulting.
Scan Design Foundation president Fidelma McGinn said the message of “turning trash into treasure and building community through art” was intended to resonate with Northwest audiences. The funding therefore supported both the physical sculptures and a public program linking art, volunteer labor, cultural exchange and environmental stewardship.
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How is the 2026 Tacoma-area exhibition different?
Parks Tacoma announced a separate exhibition, TROLLS: A Field Study, produced with Imagine. It is planned to feature 12 trolls at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma and Northwest Trek Wildlife Park in Eatonville, opening October 15, 2026.
The newer show uses reclaimed branches, scrap wood, pallets and twigs, continuing Dambo’s reuse-based approach. Unlike the six 2023 Northwest Trolls, however, it is presented through ticket and reservation information at the participating attractions rather than as a free, citywide installation. The announcement says it runs “through Jan. 24” but does not specify the closing year, so verify the current event listing before booking.
Quick Recap
What to check before planning a visit
- Confirm that the specific 2023 sculpture you want to see is still installed; the original hosting plan was for at least three years, not permanent placement.
- Use the official visitor guide for the exact address, parking and access notes.
- Allow for ferry logistics when visiting Vashon Island and account for the walk to Point Robinson Park.
- Separate the free 2023 installations from the ticketed 2026 TROLLS: A Field Study venues.
- Expect outdoor conditions: trails, shorelines, parks and weather can affect footing and accessibility.
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