Thomas Dambo's giant troll sculpture headed to Wauwatosa

WAUWATOSA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- The Wauwatosa Tourism Commission announced Tuesday, Aug. 6 that a "larger than life" troll sculpture by artist Thomas Dambo will be a key feature of the new upcoming park on 116th Street.

The piece, Dambo's first in Wisconsin, is crafted from recycled materials and is part of his vision to place a troll sculpture in every state. He reportedly has over 130 sculptures across the globe.

Beth Gleesing, Tourism Specialist for the Village of Wauwatosa, stated that Dambo's work aligns with the village's commitment to sustainability and arts in a Tuesday press conference. "We are committed to creating engaging experiences to visit and a dynamic art culture for our community, and Wauwatosa's troll is going to add to that."

The village's press release revealed that the sculpture will be completed in Spring 2025 and compared it to other regional visitor attractions like Milwaukee's Bronze Fonz, Madison's statue of Vel Phillips and The Bean in Chicago.

In a short video presented at the conference, Dambo expressed his excitement about a sculpture heading to the state as he signed the contract.

He said, "I will come to Wisconsin, to Wauwatosa, and make a really, really special sculpture: a sculpture with a concept I came up with three years ago, but now I finally have the perfect location and that is in Wauwatosa. I am looking so forward to doing it!"