Arts

100 life-sized elephant statues traveling to Newport, R.I. this summer

Newport will be the art exhibit's first stop out of six planned "migrations" set to take place over the year-long display.

By Emily Spatz

2 minutes to read

A New England city will be the first stop for 100 life-sized, “migrating” elephant statues this summer.

Beginning in July, several green spaces in Newport, R.I., will become the temporary habitat of an art exhibition titled “The Great Elephant Migration.” Newport is the first of six stops for the exhibition, which is set to be on display for a year. 

Put on by Elephant Family USA ,a nonprofit group dedicated to protecting Asian wildlife, the exhibit is meant to emphasize and promote the coexistence of humans and wildlife. 

“The exhibition aims to spark important conversations about our overpopulated planet, the impact of human encroachment on wild spaces, and the inspiring ways we can coexist with all other living beings that share the planet with humankind,” wrote project manager James Reimer in a recent project proposal to the city. 

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While in Newport, the elephants will be dispersed through lawns at popular destinations like Rough Point, The Breakers, Salve Regina University, and Great Friends Meeting House, according to the project proposal. They are set to be on exhibit from July 1 to Sept. 6. 

Each elephant is crafted by indigenous Indian artisans

The 100 Indian elephants will comprise of “XL” adult males, regular adult males, adult females, sub-adults, and calves. The largest of the statues — the XL males — will weigh up to 800 pounds and reach up to 10 feet in height, according to project officials. 

Each elephant is crafted by The Coexistence Collective, a group of more than 200 indigenous Indian artisans from various tribes. 

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“Over the past five years, this collective has intricately brought to life every elephant they coexist with, drawing on generations of observation and experience rooted in their indigenous cultures’ deep connection to nature and wildlife,” the project proposal reads.

The project’s dedication to humans’ coexistence with the natural world is reflected in the elephants’ composition. Each individual mammal is crafted from dried Lantana Camara, one of the world’s top invasive weeds, to help “eradicate the weed from protected areas” and provide “more space for wildlife.”

During the display’s exhibition in Newport, organizers will partner with Save the Bay, a Newport-based non-profit focused on marine conservation. In addition to promoting the organization and its largest fundraiser of the year, Elephant Family will be donating $10,000 to Save the Bay. 

Elephants will travel across the U.S.

After Newport, the herd of elephants will head to Manhattan, N.Y.; Miami Beach, Fla.; Yellowstone National Park, Wyo.; and end in Los Angeles, Calif., in September 2025. 

The display made its debut in India and previously traveled to London in 2021.

The exhibit’s entire installation and maintenance cost will be covered by Elephant Family, according to project documents. 

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“We believe this impactful display has the potential to generate significant public interest and contribute to Newport’s reputation as a vibrant cultural and environmental center,” Reimer wrote in the project proposal.

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