BY SCOTT STIFFLER | They say elephants never forget–so it’s in all of our best interests to ensure that the 100 or so life-sized Indian elephant sculptures on display throughout the Meatpacking District have a fond tale to tell when their time in NYC comes to an end, come October 20.

On the ground in grand fashion since September 6, The Great Elephant Migration is a spectacularly impactful public art installation made possible by Meatpacking (the District’s BID) and other area supporters “in partnership with Elephant Family USA, an international non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to helping the human race share space with the world’s magnificent wildlife,” notes Meatpacking’s press information. Each elephant, the press material further notes, “is one-of-a-kind…created by the Coexistence Collective, a community of 200 indigenous artisans living within India’s Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, who have reclaimed an invasive plant species called Lantana camara that has entangled 300,000 square kilometers of India’s forests and diminished food sources for all herbivores. Using Lantana as material, the collective has recreated every elephant they live alongside, known well by name and personality, in intricately detailed sculptural form.”

The dynamic display has been attracting much attention, as you can well imagine. Even by NYC standards, the masses have flocked to this herd in a, well, unheard of manner. As such, The Great Elephant Migration is seeking volunteers to do as wildlife preservationists have done with real wild things for eons–namely, take on the role of good shepherds watching over their majestic charges to ensure no harm comes. To that end, see the below flyer to find out how you can help–and click here to access the Migration’s volunteer sign-up page. (And keep scrolling for info on an upcoming thematically relevant event.)

UPCOMING EVENT, FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

On Wednesday, October 9 at The Maker’s Studio at Chelsea Market (448 W. 16th St.), Concrete Canvases: The Transformative Power of Art as a Tool for Economic Development is a 9am panel discussion centered around The Great Elephant Migration. In its examination of the role public art has in fostering economic activity, boosting place-based tourism, and strengthening community bonds., the panel will address public art’s contribution to urban livability, its role in post-COVID-19 recovery efforts, and the importance of creating accessible, diverse public spaces.

Moderated by Eli Dvorkin (Editorial & Policy Director, Center for an Urban Future), the panelists include Sreoshy Banerjea – Executive Director, New York City Public Design Commission; Purnima Kapur – Chief of University Planning, Harvard University; Jeffrey LeFrancois – Executive Director, Meatpacking District Management Association; Claire Weisz – Principal-in-Charge, WXY Studio; and Andrew Zitcer – Assistant Professor of Arts Administration, Drexel University. For more info, click here.

Highline Stages proudly serves as the presenting Meatpacking sponsor for The Great Elephant Migration.  Additional supporters include Google, Gansevoort Hotel, Jamestown, Related Companies, Romanoff Equities, and TF Cornerstone.

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