The Great Elephant Migration will move on from Boston after September 13, so here is a quick post with quotes, notes, photos, and resources that should get you there in time!

“A herd of 100 life-sized elephants has just arrived on Commonwealth Avenue Mall in Back Bay… The sculptures are part of a free touring public art exhibition called The Great Elephant Migration.” (quote from WBUR article by Artemisia Luk )

“Since the elephants arrived on Aug. 4,,,,, residents and visitors have flocked to the area to take in the elephants, each of which was made by artists in India, in the image of a real wild elephant, and constructed with Lantana camara leaves, an invasive plant. ” ( quote from Boston Globe article by Niki Griswold)

“Ruth Ganesh, the Great Elephant Migration’s cofounder, who kickstarted the idea in 2015, said the elephants aren’t meant to be an ominous message to industrial cities. “There’s a lot to be worried about in the world right now,” Ganesh said. “But this exhibition is joyful.” (quote from Boston Globe article by Daisy Levine July 2026)

“Tarsh Thekaekara, Ganesh’s partner, had the idea to craft the elephants out of an invasive plant that’s hurting forests near his home in India. The elephant statues would mean turning an ecological threat into a massive work of art. “[The structures] carry the stories of communities that share space with elephants every day, reminding us that if coexistence is possible there, surely people everywhere can find better ways of living alongside the natural world,” he said. (quote from Boston Globe article by Daisy Levine July 2026)

“What began in a roofless workshop in the corner of a coffee plantation has grown into a leading Indigenous-led enterprise model and a global platform for coexistence. Shaped by stories, traditions and belief systems rooted in centuries of living alongside wildlife, the collective imbues deep cultural knowledge into every stage of the making process.” (quote from The Great Elephant Migration, website, Creatives )

“Since 2024, the herd has traveled across the United States, including stops in New York City; Newport, Rhode Island; Miami; and Houston.” (quote from WBUR article by Artemisia Luk )

KEY RESOURCES: All these have better visuals then on this post, and each adds information with valuable perspectives!

The Great Elephant Migration website https://thegreatelephantmigration.org/

Why elephants are coming to Boston by Daisy Levine, Boston Globe, July 27, 2026: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/07/27/arts/great-elephant-migration-comes-to-boston/

A herd of elephant statues stands proudly on Back Bay’s historic boulevard. The neighborhood is in awe. Niki Griswold, Boston Globe, August 20, 2026 https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/08/20/metro/back-bay-commonwealth-ave-great-elephant-migration/

100 elephants arrive in Back Bay with a message of coexistence by Artemisia Luk WBUR, Aug 7 2026: https://www.wbur.org/news/2026/08/07/great-elephant-migration-back-bay-boston