Burlington County has some new residents and they’re more than a bit troll-ish.
But don’t be alarmed, these trolls are quite friendly. Like their troll pal Big Rusty – Burlington County’s original troll inhabitant – they are here to enjoy the scenic parks, bustling downtowns and incredible outdoor destinations that make Burlington County such a wonderful place to live or visit. They are also helping to spread a message about the importance of recycling, sustainability and the power of imagination.
The trolls are part of Burlington County Troll Trek, a new public art exhibition organized by the Burlington County Commissioners and the Burlington County Parks System. The exhibition was inspired by Big Rusty, the large troll created by world renowned artist Thomas Dambo at the site of Hainesport’s future Creek Turn Park. And like Big Rusty, each of the 18 new trolls are made largely from recycled and nat
ural materials. They can now be found in locations throughout the county.
Burlington County kicked off this whimsical exhibition Saturday evening during the Arts After Dark festival at Historic Smithville Park, where two of the new trolls were unveiled. A new map detailing the locations of all 18 trolls (including GPS coordinates) was also released during the ceremony. Additional copies will be distributed by the Burlington County Parks System at future parks events, and the map can also be found online at https://www.co.burlington.nj.us/2076/Troll-Trek-2024 .
“Troll Trek was created to honor and thank Thomas Dambo for selecting Burlington County as the home of one of his famous trolls,” said Burlington County Commissioner Director Felicia Hopson. “To do that, we decided to bring Big Rusty some troll friends. Now that they have arrived, we hope residents will visit each of them and marvel at the creativity of these artists. We also hope the trolls make people think more about protecting our natural environment and reimagine what we toss out as trash.”
The new trolls were made by 16 artists and teams of artists selected from dozens of submissions made in response to a Burlington County Parks System prospectus. Each artist or team was awarded a $500 stipend to help cover the cost of materials and installation expenses.
The trolls, locations and their creators are:
- “Big Rusty”; future Creek Turn Park, off Route 38, Hainesport; Created by Thomas Dambo
- “Gracie the Garden Troll”; Historic Smithville Park, 803 Smithville Road, Eastampton; Created by Norma and John Neimeister.
- “Troll on a Stroll”; Historic Smithville Park, 803 Smithville Road, Eastampton; Created by KT Carney.
- “Retlaw”; near 24 White Street, Mount Holly; Created by Julie Park and Adam Pietras.
- “Bucket Head Bobby”; 61 Washington Street, Mount Holly; Created by Lowell Doerr.
- “Weft”; Rancocas Valley Regional High School Annex, 1048 Smithville Road, Mount Holly; Created by Cassie Jones.
- “Woody”; Rancocas Nature Center, 794 Rancocas-Mount Holly Road, Westampton; Created by Jason Brown.
- “Pipsqueak”; Burlington County Amphitheater, 5 Pioneer Boulevard, Westampton; Created by Maya Sorhage.
- “Melinda”; Country Village Playground, 130 Stonebrook Drive, Lumberton; Created by Jennifer Hildebrand.
- “Flora”; Between 6 and 10 South Main Street, Medford; Created by Carmen and Eduardo Jimenez.
- “Sally McScraps”; Elbo Park, 325 Elbo Lane, Mount Laurel; Created by Marc Tous, Fred Poinsett and Steven Thorpe.
- “Noelle the Troll”; Burlington County Agricultural Center, 500 Centerton Road, Moorestown; Created by Marc Tous, Fred Poinsett and Steven Thorpe.
- “Hagatha”; 501 Burlington Avenue, Delanco; Created by Jason Miller.
- “Visser”; River Road, Burlington; Created by Peter Bieling.
- “The Art Troll”; 351 High Street, Burlington; Created by Michael Kane.
- “Rily the Abilities Troll”; 351 High Street, Burlington; Created by Julie Deluccy.
- “Edward”; 118 Farnsworth Avenue, Bordentown; Created by John Canon.
- “Kevin”; Juliustown Park, 467 Main Street, Juliustown; Created by Meg and Miles Simon
- “Tommy the Tetanus Troll”; Arney’s Mount Park, 150 Juliustown Road, Springfield; Created by Marc Tous, Fred Poinsett and Steven Thorpe.
The stipends and other costs related to the exhibition are funded by the Burlington County Commissioners and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts with support from the following co-sponsors: Mill Race
Village, Main Street Mount Holly, Rancocas Valley High School Environmental Club, Rancocas Nature Center, Township of Lumberton, Delanco Environmental Advisory Board and Delanco Recreation Commission, Arts Guild New Jersey, Rising Sun Counseling Service, Bordentown City Environmental Commission and Springfield Township.
The troll locations were selected by the Burlington County Parks System and co-sponsors.
“We’re excited to welcome these new additions to our county and the attention they are generating for our parks, downtowns and communities,” said Burlington County Commissioner Allison Eckel, the liaison to the Burlington County Department of Resource Conservation and Parks. “Each troll is unique and we look forward to seeing them all and having them inspire more people to create and take an interest in the arts.”
Visitors are encouraged to take “selfies” and other photos with the troll and post them on the Troll Trek Facebook event page @Troll Trek Launch @ Arts After Dark. Visitors are asked not to climb on the trolls and vandalism of any kind to either the trolls or their surroundings will not be tolerated.
The new trolls are expected to remain on display at their current locations through Dec. 31.
