No, we're not trolling you; Pease Park wants to add giant troll sculpture to Austin

This world is full of trolls, but Austin (except for when the Texas Legislature is in session), unfortunately, is not.

But that could all change now that the Pease Park Conservancy, the nonprofit that oversees the city park off North Lamar Boulevard between 15th and 24th streets, has opened an online community input session about putting a troll sculpture in the park.

The troll would come from Danish artist Thomas Dambo, who uses recycled wood and materials to create sculptures. The creations, often massive, have been placed in hundreds of parks and forests and on mountains around the world.

The sculpture would be bankrolled by the conservancy — which is 100% funded by donors, according to the group's website. That means no public money will be used to acquire this troll. (Insert a clever pun about a troll toll here.)

Austin's troll would grace our presence for at least 15 years, which is how long Dambo grants a license for the sculpture. After that, we could keep it longer if the conservancy decides on an extension or a new license.

The conservancy has picked three possible locations for the troll to live, although none, unfortunately, is under a bridge.

Dambo typically visits each location before building the sculpture to try to capture some part of the region's personality in the artwork. So, obviously, we figure Austin's troll could have a cowboy hat or maybe some bat wings.

You can let the conservancy know whether or not you want the troll by completing a survey online. For more information, go to peasepark.org/news/2023/trollsurvey.

The conservancy has received mostly position feedback about the sculpture — 87% of responses supported the installation as of Monday morning, according to Allison Johnson, the conservancy's director of community engagement.

She said some people have raised concerns about traffic and congestion in the area as a result of increased visits to the art installation; the use of an artist who is not local; and the installation of any project, as some people prefer Pease remain untouched.