With colorful embellishments and pointy hats, 5-foot-tall wooden creatures have marked their claim to German Village’s brick streets and gardens. Behind fence posts, next to trees and behind bushes, the village gnomes are here.
“Project Gnome” is a walkable public art installation created in celebration of the the German Village Garten Club’s 60th anniversary.
The self-guided Gnome Trail features 23 carved wooden gnomes outside of establishments or hiding behind fence posts in German Village.
The three to 5-foot-tall creatures were carved by Matt Missey, Ohio tree carver from Berlin Heights in Erie County. The gnomes were then individually painted by one of 16 local artists. There are also five topiary gnomes on display, one made of succulent plants and four in planters.
“As our club celebrates 60 years, we wanted to create something that honors our roots while inviting the broader community to experience the greater German Village area in a new and whimsical way,” said Jim Chakeres, chair of “Project Gnome” and a past president of the German Village Garten Club, in a release.
The German Village Garten Club is a nonprofit supporting the greater German Village area while emphasizing community beautification, historic preservation, horticultural education and civic engagement. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the club, founded in 1966.
The Gnome Trail nods to German garden tradition and European folklore. The small guardians of the garden have been reimagined as guardians for the village community.
The gnomes will be on display through the end of 2026.
To meet the gnomes and view a trail map visit germanvillagegnomes.com.
Locations, biographies and artist information for all the gnomes can be found on this site. There is also a printable scavenger hunt checklist. The estimated time to visit all gnomes along the trail is one to two hours.
Dispatch reporter Ella Diehl can be reached at ediehl@dispatch.com
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: What’s with all the gnomes? German Village Garten Club brings Gnome Trail
Reporting by Ella Diehl, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Ella Diehl, Columbus Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
