Burlington County is looking to find Big Rusty some new friends.
If you’re not yet acquainted, Big Rusty is a massive troll who has taken up residence at the site of Hainesport’s future Creek Turn Park. A creation of artist Thomas Dambo, the large statue was made almost entirely from recycled materials found at the abandoned Creek Turn Ceramic factory off Route 38. It serves as a homage to recycling, sustainability and the power of imagination.
Now the Burlington County Commissioners and Burlington County Parks System want to amplify Dambo’s message with a new public art initiative inspired by Hainesport’s upcycled creature.
Known as Burlington County Troll Trek, the Commissioners and Parks System are partnering with several Burlington County municipalities and organizations to commission artists to design and build their own trolls from natural or recycled materials for display in various Burlington County parks, downtowns and other public locations.
The Commissioners kicked off the initiative this week, announcing that the County is seeking artists to create at least 13 trolls.
“Burlington County welcomes new residents from across the globe, including trash-consuming trolls,” said Burlington County Commissioner Director Felicia Hopson. “We were thrilled Mr. Dambo selected Burlington County to be the home of one of his amazing creations. We love the statue so much, that we decided to ask some artists to create some more trolls so Big Rusty isn’t alone. It’s a great initiative that celebrates art, recycling and community.”
Preliminary designs for trolls will be accepted now through June 1.
Submissions will be reviewed by a committee of representatives from the Burlington County Parks System and the participating towns. Selected artists will be responsible for building and installing their trolls in the desired location. A stipend of $500 will be awarded to each artist to help cover materials and installation expenses.
Trolls will be required to be larger than 4-feet in height and should be original designs and not copies of Thomas Dambo’s sculptures.
Complete guidelines are available on an artist prospectus posted on the Burlington County Parks page at https://burlingtoncountynj.formstack.com/forms/troll_trek_application .
The County hopes to announce its selections in late June and then unveil the finished trolls by late September.
The initiative is being funded with monies awarded to Burlington County from the New Jersey Arts Council, with additional support from the participating municipalities and organizations. Those partners include: Lumberton Township; Mount Laurel; Mount Holly and Main Street Mount Holly; Delanco and the Delanco Environmental Advisory Board; Springfield Township; Burlington City and the Lyceum Hall Center for the Arts; Medford and Lower Forge Brewery, Shoppes at Medford Mill and the Medford Arts Center and the Rancocas Nature Center in Westampton.
“We are grateful to all these organizations for partnering with us and supporting this exciting arts initiative,” said Commissioner Allison Eckel, the liaison to the County Department of Resource Conservation and Parks. “Supporting the arts not only helps artists and arts organizations, it also brings visitors to our towns, generates jobs and business activity, and helps bring our residents closer together.”
This year the Commissioners approved the distribution of a record high $315,500 in grant funding to support arts programs and initiatives, including the Mount Holly Fire and Ice Festival, the Burlington County St. Patrick’s Parade, the Beverly Blues Festival and the Whitesbog Preservation Trust, among others.
Eckel, who serves on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Local Government Advisory Committee, said she also hopes the new trolls inspire residents to think more about recycling, sustainability and protecting our environment.
“Big Rusty shows us how used materials and other items commonly thought of as trash can be repurposed and re-used to create something new, much like the bottles, papers and cans we recycle every day,” she said. “We hope these new trolls help amplify that message and encourage more people to think about recycling and how to reuse items before tossing them out as trash.”