Elephant Family, an international non-governmental organization dedicated to protecting Asia’s wildlife, unveiled the U.S. phase of The Great Elephant Migration. This marks the first time the traveling public art exhibition and fundraising initiative will arrive in the United States, with a 3,500-mile Migration of 100 elephant sculptures traveling to Newport, Rhode Island; New York City; Miami; Blackfeet Nation; Buffalo Pastures in Browning, Montana; and Los Angeles through 2025.

© Elephant Family

An international collaboration between Indigenous artisans, contemporary artists and cultural institutions, The Great Elephant Migration aims to support Indigenous-led conservation efforts and inspire peaceful human and animal coexistence.

Each elephant sculpture in the 100-strong “herd” has been created by The Coexistence Collective, a community of 200 indigenous artisans from the Betta Kurumba, Paniya, Kattunayakan and Soliga communities of India’s Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, Tamil Nadu. The collective has recreated every elephant they live alongside in intricately detailed sculptural form. The elephants are made from Lantana camara, one of the world’s top invasive weeds, which covers more than 40 percent of India’s protected areas. In addition, each elephant is twinned with a conservation NGO in the United States and beyond whose work will directly benefit from the sale of their sculpture.

© Elephant Family

The U.S. Migration was conceptualized and produced by trustee of Elephant Family and co-founder of the Coexistence Collective Ruth Ganesh. The Migration started in Newport last month and will continue at various locations in the city through Sept. 1 or 2, with a series of multidisciplinary art installations by artist Hadi Falapishi and curated by Kazanjian.

Falapishi will create a large body of work specifically for this project, displayed at several of the town’s most noted mansions and historic sites, including Solarium at Rough Point Museum, Great Friends Meeting House and the great hall at The Breakers. The herd of 100 elephants will be dispersed and installed just outside these locations, creating a dialogue with Falapishi’s work.

“The vision of 100 hand-made Indian elephants migrating across America, in my mind, is a monumental, cinematic, and moving work of performance art,” said Art&Newport founder Dodie Kazanjian. “I could not think of a project more aligned with the mission and values of Art&Newport, and we are so honored to be the first location in the U.S. to engage with this work.”

© Elephant Family

After Newport, the elephants will migrate to New York City’s Meatpacking District, arriving Sept. 6. Programming and activations will continue into late October. In December, in collaboration with Faena Art and The Reef Line, with support from Xerjoff, the Italian fragrance company, the elephants will make their way to Miami for Art Week, where further programming and artist interventions will be announced soon.

The “herd” will make its way west for the final leg of the Migration from the Buffalo Pastures of Blackfeet Nation, Montana, into Los Angeles. This part of the journey will involve a convoy of 100 Jeeps adorned with Indian lorry art, each towing a single elephant sculpture. From the western mountains to the streets of Los Angeles, this journey will symbolize the experience of migratory animals in a human-dominated world.

Elephants have matriarchal structures, with each herd led by an older, experienced female, so it is only natural The Great Elephant Migration is a women-led conservation effort. The Matriarchy is a group of influential women across diverse fields, including environmentalists, philanthropists, storytellers and creatives, which will rally support for human-wildlife coexistence throughout the Migration. Members of the Matriarchy include Cher, Kristin Davis, Dr. Sylvia Earle and more to be announced.