This summer, your daily walk down Santa Monica Boulevard might include 100 life-sized elephants—and no, it’s not a metaphor for gridlock or the state of American politics.
Starting July 1, Beverly Hills becomes the final stop in The Great Elephant Migration, a continent-spanning public art installation and conservation campaign that’s equal parts sculpture, storytelling, and soulful spectacle. And while the elephants may be made of lantana vines and handcrafted by Indigenous artisans from India’s Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, make no mistake: their presence in LA is anything but still.
From the East Coast to East Africa to East LA
This isn’t just a pop-up. It’s the tail end (literally) of a 5,000-mile, five-day symbolic road trip across the American West, powered by Hertz and led by a convoy of colorfully painted trucks, matriarchal leadership, and Indigenous knowledge.
The final stretch begins June 22 in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where Maasai warriors from Kenya, Blackfeet Nation leaders, and Adivasi artists from Tamil Nadu, India, gather for what might be the most poetic road trip this country has seen in a while. Their mission: escort 100 intricately sculpted elephants to Los Angeles, where they’ll form a ceremonial installation along Santa Monica Blvd from July 1 to August 1.
Sculpture, But With Heart (and Trunks)
Each elephant is life-size, hand-built from invasive lantana shrub, and based on real wild elephants living alongside the artists. Baby elephants go for $8,000; tuskers up to $22,000—with proceeds funding over 20 human-wildlife coexistence projects worldwide. The project’s already raised $7 million. Its goal: $10 million and a few hundred thousand hearts opened along the way.
As if that weren’t enough, the herd will be “Wrapped in History” upon arrival—literally. Each sculpture is adorned with a one-of-a-kind ceremonial textile created by artists from South Asia and Indigenous North American communities. Designed by Vikram Goyal, the blankets turn each elephant into a walking (or standing) symbol of protection, resilience, and reverence.
Ceremony, Not Spectacle
This isn’t an art show you stroll past with a smoothie. The arrival of the herd is marked by a blanket ceremony at The Wallis in Beverly Hills on June 27—a blend of culture, collaboration, and intentional celebration. After that, the elephants stand in silent formation along the boulevard, free and open to the public for a month, with the blankets auctioned off online to benefit conservation orgs from California to Kenya.
And if you’re wondering how this all fits in Beverly Hills—land of polished Teslas and palm-lined detachment—well, that’s kind of the point. It’s a gentle confrontation with the natural world, placed precisely where we often forget it exists.
Why It Matters
The Great Elephant Migration is matriarch-led for a reason. Elephants, like many Indigenous communities, pass wisdom through generations. They navigate by memory, protect each other, and reshape the land simply by walking through it. In a moment when “coexistence” often feels like a buzzword, this project makes it tangible, visual, and oddly tender.
Backed by big names like Chantecaille, Wallis Annenberg, and The Matriarchy (yes, Cher is on that list), this installation is activism disguised as elegance. It’s also a rare, family-friendly way to talk to your kids about wildlife, conservation, and what it means to live gently in a world that’s increasingly loud.
The Great Elephant Migration
July 1–August 1, 2025
Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills
Free and open to the public
thegreatelephantmigration.org
Come for the art. Stay for the quiet shift in perspective.
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