Fans of Thomas Dambo's art installation, Malin's Fountain, gathered at Pease Park on June 24 to celebrate and remember the sculpture. Malin's Fountain was lost to a fire May 21. (Katlynn Fox/ Community Impact)
Pease Park Conservancy hosted an event June 24 to celebrate Malin’s Fountain, the 18-foot-tall troll sculpture that once guarded Pease Park.
“Malin was our water protector, our patron saint of Pease Park,” Nicole Netherton, CEO of Pease Park Conservancy, said at the event. “For me, she embodied the love and connection to each other and to nature that I feel here tonight.”
Bowen Miller with a bag of ashes from Malin’s Fountain. Pease Park Conservancy distributed the ashes for people to use as fertilizer, “keeping her alive through living things,” the packaging states. (Katlynn Fox/Community Impact)
What we know
The Austin Fire Department responded to the scene May 21, beginning an active investigation. The fire’s cause remains unknown, and signage posted at the site calls for community help in identifying information.
Now, the spot where Malin’s Fountain stood is occupied by additional boulders for seating and the one remaining piece of the troll: the fountain that once occupied Malin’s hands.
Scout Gockel (left) and Connor Gockel paint using the ashes from Malin’s Fountain. Watercolorist Corina Perez led the painting activity and was part of the volunteer crew that cleared and bagged the ashes. (Katlynn Fox/Community Impact)
Those affected
The memorial honoring Dambo’s art featured speeches, music, poetry and an art activation where attendees could use Malin’s ashes to paint. Pease Park Conservancy also distributed the troll's ashes, labeled “Malin’s Magic Mix.”
The conservancy also invited attendees to bring a memento, photo or drawing for Malin. Jackson Branscum, a local artist, brought 3D-printed mini Malin statues to distribute, saying he wants to spread the love and give a piece of her to everyone.
“I don't think there has been another time in the history of the park—and that's 151 years—or of the conservancy, that has brought such an outpouring of love, support, compassion, encouragement, big-heartedness, offers of help [and] offers of prayers,” Netherton said to the crowd.
Also of note
Austin City Council member for District 10, Marc Duchen, presented a proclamation from the city “memorializing Malin and celebrating the lasting impact she had on our community,” he said. On behalf of Mayor Kirk Watson and Austin City Council, Duchen declared June 24, 2026, as Malin’s Fountain Day.
Austin resident Erin Hancock admires community art, photos and poetry shared in remembrance of Malin’s Fountain. Losing the sculpture is a broad loss for the city, Hancock said. (Katlynn Fox/Community Impact)
The context
Malin was revealed in March 2024 and built with the help of over a hundred volunteers. Dambo designed Malin to hold a fountain that represents the relationship between humans, animals and the environment, symbolizing that water should be a shared resource.
Malin’s Fountain was constructed using recycled wood from Denmark, as well as reclaimed wood from the J.J. Pickle Research Campus at The University of Texas at Austin, according to the conservancy. Materials for Malin's necklace and hair were collected by Greg Wooldridge, who co-founded the Tejemos Foundation with his wife, Lynne Dobson.
“All of us will miss Malin’s comforting presence in our favorite park,” Dobson shared at the event. “We feel deep gratitude for everyone who helped create her—it was a huge team—and for all who appreciated her and still appreciate her.”
One last thing
After addressing the crowd, Netherton shared a breaking message from Dambo received via text. Dambo shared his gratitude for the people who gathered to celebrate Malin, saying her presence lives on.
“I feel honored to spend my life building art that brings people together,” Dambo said. “Art that shows our garbage can become something good, a positive energy rather than a negative force breaking our world apart. And it means the world to me that all of you here are that all of you are here to celebrate that. I hope to be back.”
