An elephant art exhibit has arrived on the front lawn of Harbor View Hotel in sculpture form, a new welcome party for guests and onlookers.

The elephants are part of The Great Elephant Migration, a global fundraising project. — Ray Ewing

When hotel owner Bernard Chiu saw the elephants for the first time, he immediately knew he wanted to bring them to the Island.

“I was so intrigued by how beautiful these animals are,” he said. “But more than that is really the meaning behind them. The meaning behind it is to create an awareness that it’s actually our job and our responsibility as a human race to protect those habitats and coexist with them.”

The elephants — Rajesh, Chitra, Jothi — are part of The Great Elephant Migration, a global fundraising project to raise awareness and knowledge of indigenous history and impact while promoting harmony between wildlife and humans. A community of 200 indigenous Indian artists who are part of The Coexistence Collective created each elephant. All funds raised are donated to projects that protect biodiversity.

Family frolics with the latest herd in Edgartown. — Ray Ewing

The multi-foot Indian elephants are made of lantana camara, an invasive weed that threatens the elephant population in India. The animals act as both a pillar to raise awareness and an addition to the hotel’s decor, according to Mr. Chiu.

“What’s a better place to place this structure inside the hotel property to help create this awareness,” he said. “They’re also beautiful and they will add to the art collection we have at the hotel.”

The elephant family arrived in Newport, R.I. in July, where Mr. Chiu first saw them. He plans to display them on the Vineyard for “a long time,” already thinking about storage in the winter.

Harbor View staff poses with Rajesh, Chitra and Jothi. — Ray Ewing

“We’ll have to find a habitat for them, an indoor space to provide shelter for them,” he said. “My thinking is for the calf, we’ll leave it in the hotel lobby or in the restaurant. The big ones, we’re gonna have to find storage for them on the Island until next spring. Then we’ll display them again.”

Mr. Chiu said he is also open to loaning the elephants to other organizations on the Island, hoping to spread the importance of preseving wildlife and how humans interact with them.

“There’s a strong beauty when you see them,” he said. “Also, the majority of money that I paid for to purchase them goes to help fund the [initative] to create the awareness of wildlife habitat. It’s a double meaning here.”