Dambo troll project to be installed next summer

By Robert Williams

Editor

The City of Frazee and Wannigan Regional Park will be supporting the installation and hosting of a troll with the Detroit Lakes area Thomas Dambo troll project.

Copenhagen, Denmark-based artist Thomas Dambo is a world-famous artist that is bringing six planned installations to the Detroit Lakes area.

“It’s pretty exciting,” said City Administrator Stephanie Poegel. “It’s going to be amazing.”

Dambo has created hundreds of installations around the world from his home in Denmark to China, Australia and the United States. The closest installations in the U.S. to Frazee are currently in Colorado and Michigan.

Dambo constructs the head, hands and feet of the 21-22-foot troll in Denmark and finishes the project from locally-sourced wood.

Dambo will be in the area in June to complete the installation.

The Frazee Park and Recreation committee, along with members of the Frazee Community Development Corporation (FCDC), have submitted photos of potential areas in Wannigan Park for the installation. Dambo has final say as to the exact location.

According to Poegel, plans for the troll are currently in discussion, but the art installation will be more than just a piece of art.

“It’ll be something that kids can climb on and it will be interactive,” councilmember Andrea Froeber said.

Currently, the art installation count for the area is six, with one in Frazee and the other five scheduled to be installed around Detroit Lakes. There is a chance more may be created and not all six are trolls. Each creation has a story so the installations will all have a connection.

“It’s very good for tourism and very good for Wannigan Park to have something very substantial to bring people into Frazee,” said Froeber.

“People travel all over the country to see these,” said Poegel.

Funding, support, and sponsorship is being provided by Project 412, which will bring a troll to Wannigan Regional Park in Frazee through their relationship with the artist. All art installation costs will be paid by Project 412, and supporting amenities in the park will be provided by the City of Frazee through its partnership with the Frazee Community Development Corporation and the Wannigan Park Committee. 

Vice Mayor Mike Sharp clarified that FCDC is the agency that will be responsible going into the future.

“FCDC is going to take care of these things. Yes, it’ll be on city property and technically it’ll be the city’s,” Sharp said.

“But it’ll be part of the Wannigan responsibilities for care and maintenance,” said Poegel.

The council unanimously approved a letter of support for the project.

Project 412 will be responsible for troll signage (by the troll) and maintaining the troll itself for the first five years. FCDC, in coordination with the City of Frazee, will manage and fund any additional signage, trails, garbage removal, a port-a-potty, and maintain the art beyond the first five years.

Project 412 was created with a grant from the Blandin Foundation and additional financial support from local donors and announced Create DL, a partnership with the Historic Holmes Theatre that will spread public art across Detroit Lakes and the surrounding area.

For more information visit www.project412mn.org and www.thomasdambo.com/

Ownership of Wannigan Regional Park (WRP) is now officially in the city’s possession. Mayor Mark Flemmer and Poegel signed off on purchase papers of the property on Friday, December 22.

“While it has been a long road to this point, WRP is going to be a great amenity to Frazee, and I foresee wonderful things happening in Frazee as a direct result of the hard work of all those who’ve gotten the park to this point,” Poegel said in her monthly report.