Next Stop: The Pacific Northwest

Summer E-news: The Northwest Trolls are Coming!

Danish Environmental Artist, Thomas Dambo and his crew are 1,265 miles from reaching the Pacific Northwest! They are currently in Victor, Colorado completing Troll 4 in the Way of the Bird King U.S tour. The tour will feature 10 trolls across the nation this summer, where the final six will inhabit the Pacific Northwest.

The Northwest Trolls will come to life in various locations in August and September and will stay for a minimum of three years! Join the scavenger hunt to discover these six mysterious giants that are being built here to share an environmental message with the public.

“We are excited to showcase the creative ingenuity of Dambo’s work to Northwest audiences in this ambitious exhibition. His message of turning trash into treasure and building community through art will resonate with all who experience his mystical troll sculptures.”

Fidelma McGinn, President, Scan Design Foundation

The trolls' heads, hands, and feet crossed the Atlantic Ocean and the U.S. safely in a large container from Denmark

NW Trolls Project Manager, Scott MacDonald, and SDF Program Officer, Line Larsen, as the troll parts are unloaded

Parts of the Northwest Trolls were built on Thomas Dambo's farm in Denmark and have already arrived in the Northwest in a large container. As each unique troll is built, the story behind them will unfold. As the trolls will be located on traditional Coast Salish territories, the project is collaborating closely with the Muckleshoot and Snoqualmie tribes. The project celebrates art and culture while it promotes the shared values of environmental stewardship between Coast Salish tribal communities and Danish/Scandinavian traditions.

The Northwest Trolls will be hidden in these areas:

Portland, OR
Bainbridge Island, WA
Vashon Island, WA
West Seattle, WA
City of Issaquah, WA
Ballard, WA

As each troll is unveiled, visual clues to find their exact location will be provided on Trollmap.com. To find out when each troll is ready to be discovered, stay tuned on social media or our new website:

Later this summer, we will also send an e-mail to reveal when some of the trolls have been built. And soon, there will be a geocache adventure app to add to the fun!

We hope you will join us and discover these magical creatures made from recycled materials - and see what is possible when trash is given a second life.

Image: Benny the Beard Fisher is the third troll by Thomas Dambo in the Way of the Bird King Tour.

Benny was completed on July 22nd, 2023 in Germfask, MI.

More about Thomas Dambo -

and his trolls:

Thomas Dambo has built over 100 trolls around the world - the Northwest Trolls will connect this region to this worldwide phenomenon.

You can follow along on Thomas Dambo's road trip on his YouTube Channel and his Facebook Page. Watch the first episode here >

While you wait for their arrival, read our recent blogs about the NW Trolls:

Blog: Northwest Trolls: A Preamble

For an introduction to the project, read the project announcement by Scan Design Foundation Program Officer, Line Liblik Larsen, followed by a piece about Nordic troll folklore by Dr. Ann-Charlotte Gavel Adams.

Blog: SDF Artist Exchange in Denmark: Thomas Dambo and the Muckleshoot Tribe

For more about the project's connection with our tribal partners, read this blog about an artist exchange recently facilitated by Scan Design Foundation, where John Halliday aka Coyote from the Muckleshoot tribe visited Thomas Dambo's farm in Denmark to collaborate on the NW Trolls project.