Santa Rosa city officials are asking residents to submit words or phrases that could be included in a new public art piece that will be located in Old Courthouse Square.

The artwork titled “Unum” by Blessing Hancock will be permanently installed in the downtown square, made of stainless steel with words or phrases submitted by the public that will be water-jet cut into the surface of the structure, according to the city.

Residents are asked to fill out a survey that asks about their hopes for Santa Rosa, how their community or neighborhood inspires them, what makes the city unique, and what values are important to them. Responses are welcome in any language, city officials said.

The city’s Art in Public Places Committee will choose the top responses among recommendations by a community advisory committee for the project, which is getting $280,000 in funding from Santa Rosa’s Public Art Fund for its design and construction.

More details about the project can be found online.

The five finalists that were considered for the Courthouse Square public art display are presented. (Video courtesy of city of Santa Rosa)

Dan McMenamin is the managing editor at Bay City News, directing daily news coverage of the 12-county greater Bay Area. He has worked for BCN since 2008 and has been managing editor since 2014 after previously serving as BCN’s San Francisco bureau reporter. A UC Davis graduate, he came to BCN after working for a newspaper and nonprofit in the Davis area. He handles staffing, including coaching of our interns, day-to-day coverage decisions and management of the newswire.