Atlantis the Tide Keeper
A Journey from Land to Water
Atlantis is more than a bronze sculpture.
She is the first sculpture created by The Tidekeepers Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to reconnecting people with the rhythms of nature through tide-responsive public art.
As of August 1st 2026 Atlantis rests on land at Reed Park in Manchester-by-the-Sea.
This temporary installation allows the community to meet her, create a relationship with her while celebrating her creation, and become part of her story.
Her true home, however, is in the tide.
When all permits, engineering, and funding are complete, Atlantis will move to Days Creek, where she will rise and disappear with the changing tides. As the ocean breathes, she will emerge and submerge, inviting people to pause, observe, and reconnect with the natural rhythm of the sea.
The tide is the breath of the ocean. Through public art, we invite people to slow down, reconnect with its rhythm, and rediscover their own.
The Journey
Atlantis began as a dream.
One morning, Elisa Vanelli awoke with a vivid vision of a mermaid resting beneath the tide - hidden at high tide and revealed at low tide.
The vision led her to Days Creek in Manchester Harbor, where the remains of an old stone wall seemed to confirm the place where Atlantis belonged.
From that moment, the project became a community effort.
Artists, engineers, foundries, volunteers, local businesses, donors, town boards, and countless supporters came together to transform a dream into bronze.
Today, Atlantis marks the beginning of a much larger vision. What started as a single sculpture is growing into a long-term initiative to reconnect people with nature through tide-responsive public art.
Beyond Atlantis
Atlantis is only the beginning.
The Tidekeepers Foundation envisions a series of tide-responsive sculptures throughout Cape Ann, each uniquely inspired by its location and each interacting with the ocean.
Together they will create a trail of public art that celebrates the tides, encourages environmental awareness, and invites people to experience the shoreline in a new way.
About the Artist
Elisa Vanelli is an Italian-born sculptor and founder of The Tidekeepers Foundation. Through her work, she invites people to slow down, reconnect with nature, and rediscover their place within its rhythms. Inspired by the beauty and intelligence of the natural world, her sculptures seek to awaken a sense of wonder, belonging, and reverence for life.