Thomas Dambo troll project recognized for creative partnership, tourism impact, and bringing thousands of visitors to Clinton
A giant troll beneath an old oak tree is bringing thousands of visitors to EICC’s Bickelhaupt Arboretum and giving them a new reason to discover Clinton.
Grow Clinton has named Bickelhaupt Arboretum and The Sawmill Museum recipients of its 2026 VALUE Spotlight Innovation Award, recognizing the organizations’ partnership and work to bring internationally acclaimed artist Thomas Dambo’s giant trolls to Clinton.
The award recognizes projects and organizations using creative ideas to strengthen the Clinton region. For Grow Clinton, the troll project combined art, history, nature, and tourism in a way that has generated attention far beyond the community.
In the first three months, the trolls attracted at least 94,000 visitors and generated an estimated $14 million in economic activity, according to Grow Clinton. Visitors drawn to the sculptures have also explored local restaurants, businesses, parks, museums, and other attractions.
At Bickelhaupt Arboretum, many of those visitors come looking for Marvin.
Created from reclaimed and recycled wood, Marvin reclines beneath one of the arboretum’s oldest oak trees. He is part of Dambo’s “The Tree Thieves,” a collection of four sculptures rooted in Clinton’s lumber history and connected through an original story created for the community.
“Marvin has introduced the arboretum to people who may never have found us otherwise,” said Doug Smith, associate director of the Bickelhaupt. “They come to see this incredible piece of art, and then they start walking. They cross the bridges, explore the gardens, look at the trees, and spend time here. That opportunity to connect people with nature is exactly what the arboretum is about.”
The Clinton project came together with help from more than 100 volunteers, local organizations, and city crews.
“This recognition speaks to what can happen when a community takes a creative idea and builds it together,” said Clinton Community College President Brian Kelly, EdD. “The trolls have brought people to Clinton from near and far, but the impact goes beyond the number of visitors. People are discovering the arboretum, learning more about our community, and seeing what’s possible when organizations work together.”
Grow Clinton Vice President Matt Parbs credited the project’s success to the willingness to pursue an unconventional idea. “The true innovation is that Ari Lewerenz, acting as Sawmill Museum Board President, simply asked Dambo,” he said in the organization’s award announcement.
Dambo has created nearly 200 sculptures in forests, parks, gardens, and public spaces around the world. His work combines reclaimed materials, folklore, environmental themes, and outdoor exploration.
The troll arrived at a significant time for the Arboretum. EICC recently completed a $5.5 million renovation and enhancement project at the 15-acre property, including accessibility improvements, expanded gathering and event spaces, and renovation of the former Bickelhaupt family home into an education and event center.
Grow Clinton will present the VALUE Spotlight Innovation Award to Bickelhaupt Arboretum at noon Thursday, Oct. 8. The celebration continues with a separate presentation to The Sawmill Museum at noon Friday, Oct. 9.