Charlestown is now the latest home to world-renowned artist Thomas Dambo’s beloved trolls, making the town an A-list attraction for international travelers. The project was made possible by the hard work of the South County Tourism Council to secure a placemaking grant for $50,000 from the state from federal ARPA funds. President and CEO of South County Tourism, Louise Bishop, told volunteers that while she was stuck at an airport in Puerto Rico, she first read about Dambo and the trolls and thought bringing them to South County would be perfect.
With the cooperation of a friendly Town Council and a new Town Administrator, making the dream of world-class art available to the public for free in Ninigret Park became a reality. While there were those who quite literally used “explosive” arguments to try and derail the project, Council President Deb Carney and Town Administrator Jeff Allen ensured the project proceeded as scheduled and were on hand for the opening. Carney thanked the hard work done by the staff at South County Tourism, the artist and his crew, the Parks and Rec staff, Carl Fehrmann of DPW staff especially, and the many volunteers who worked on the project. Councilor Serra commented, “We now have an international destination here in Charlestown.”
A volunteer from East Providence said, “I’m lobbying my mayor, DaSilva, hard to get a troll in East Providence.” She said she loved working on the project as a retiree and would bring family to visit when school ends.
The crew working on the project pointed out how much they loved working in the area the night before the opening when they finished the first troll and celebrated with beers from several local brewers. One Danish team member said, “You have some really good local beer.”
Bishop pointed out in her remarks that bringing this exhibit to the area would increase tourism regionally and extend the shoulder season for local businesses. Charlestown is now the center of an economic engine that will benefit an area from Southeastern Connecticut to Newport County and north to Blackstone Valley. Make no mistake, without Charlestown Residents United’s leadership on the council, this never would have happened. Please remember this as we head into election season this year and please consider donating to CRU, especially if you’d like to see more transparency in government, more accountability, and more availability from your elected officials.
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