Mihail Simeonov (1929-2021) was a Bulgarian-born artist who immigrated to the US by way of Tunis. He is best known for his "Cast the Sleeping Elephant Project", a life-size bronze statue of an African elephant. It was produced by making an alginate cast in 1980 of a live, wild Kenyan elephant bull, which survived the 72-minute process unharmed. The bronze statue made from the cast was inaugurated in 1998 by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and is installed outside UN Headquarters in New York.

Mihail initially immigrated to New York but moved to Pawtucket, Rhode Island in 2005. In September 2019, to celebrate his 75th anniversary as a practicing sculptor, he was honored with an exhibit in Pawtucket City Hall as well a Key to the City presented by Mayor Donald Grebian.