WILSON, Wyo. — According to local lore, five years ago, a Danish artist coaxed a giant troll down from the mountains to watch over the banks of R Park’s pond.
Jackson Hole Public Art posted on Facebook today to celebrate the fifth birthday of Mama Mimi, R Park’s troll built entirely out of recycled and locally sourced materials. Thomas Dambo, the artist behind the troll, has become internationally known since he began creating the giant personalities out of repurposed wood in 2014. Mama Mimi was completed in June 2021 as Dambo’s 80th troll installation worldwide.
“She gazes out over the pond, one leg stretched across to a little island, welcoming every climber, kayaker, and curious soul who wanders her way,” JH Public Art wrote on Facebook. “We’re so grateful to have her watching over R Park for 5 whole years. Here’s to many more!”
JH Public Art Executive Director Carrie Geraci told Buckrail that the organization has an agreement with the Jackson Hole Land Trust (JHLT), which manages R Park. JH Public Art raised the funds for the statue’s creation and installation, and maintains the troll with permission from JHLT. Geraci noted that as long as Mama Mimi is safe and sturdy, she will remain nestled in the cottonwoods on the edge of R Park’s pond.
“We do maintain her annually,” Geraci said. “She will get a cleaning and a coating this fall.”
According to JH Public Art, Dambo visited Jackson in 2019 and immersed himself in the site. Project partners worked together to find a location for the sculpture that would avoid disrupting important ecological areas of the park, like wetlands and areas of concentrated wildlife habitat. The troll remains a familiar and beloved part of the R Park landscape.
