Low attendance – but not low enthusiasm – marked Saturday’s Dome of Unity public art workshop at Hartman Recreation Center in Joliet.

Attendees met Sijia Chen, multimedia artist for the Dome of Unity sculpture for Joliet’s $9 million city square, and learned about her artistic process, which is based on the ancient art of paper cutting.

Joliet’s city square will be a 1.3-acre urban park across from the Rialto Square Theatre and should be accessible for the annual “Light Up the Holidays” parade, usually the Friday after Thanksgiving Day.

According to the Joliet Unity Dome website, the actual dome will be fabricated from “stainless steel with a protective anti-graffiti coating.“

The dome’s design will feature “paper-cut art inspired cutouts that incorporate figurative and abstract forms,” according to the website.

“These cutouts will allow light and air to pass through, cast dynamic shadows throughout the day, and contribute to the sculpture’s structural integrity,” according to the website.

However, the community should shape the final design, since it will “tell their story,” Chen said. Chen wants people to reflect on “What is Joliet to you?” and “What is it you want people to see?”

“[And then] people can create paperwork designs to be potentially incorporated into the [dome] design,” Chen said.

Ann Sylvester, cultural affairs and special events director for the city of Joliet, said Chen’s community-centered approach was “a unique way to create a sculpture,” and that the final design will complement Joliet’s new city square.

The dome’s arch is based on the Rialto’s arch, which “connects to something in the square that’s historical,” Sylvester said.

“This piece of public art will be a landmark in our city,” Sylvester said. “It is really the voice of Joliet.”

Chen said paper cutting dates back to at least the fourth century and is still practiced in many countries, including China, Korea and Vietnam.

She said she learned paper cutting from her father, who used single-color paper.

Chen expanded paper cutting into public art and incorporates many colors, even using vaccination cards, receipts and menus – documents some consider trash but are really “evidence on how we lived,” she said.

Her themes include mountains and water to symbolize “long and challenging journeys,” which also are inspiring, she said.

Chen correlated that to Joliet’s immigrant population, Joliet’s place on Route 66 and Joliet as a “hub of transportation.”

By preserving collective memories, Chen’s art shows how people of different backgrounds coexisted together, she said.

“And how we thrive together,” Chen said.

That’s why Chen loves community engagement when creating public art. And that’s why people are “thrilled” to contribute to art that “will stay in their neighborhoods forever,” she said.

“It’s not just an art piece,” Chen said. “It’s a chance for the local community to rediscover their local history.”

Following her presentation, Chen distributed paper cutting templates to attendees and demonstrated the correct way to cut, moving the paper instead of the scissors.

Michele Arana, owner of Internode Greenery and Home in downtown Joliet, said she “wanted to be part of this amazing project” and called the dome “a stunning piece.”

“I think the ideas of Joliet are changing for the better,” Arana said.

Chen also held a public art workshop Friday evening at Thigpen Elementary School in Joliet. Approximately 30 people attended, Sylvester said.

During several days in Joliet, Chen visited Edna Keith Elementary School, Timber Ridge Middle School, Washington Junior High School and Joliet Central and Joliet West high schools, where students engaged in paper cutting, Sylvester said.

Joliet Arts Commission Chairman Tom Grotovsky told Chen before the presentation that he can’t wait to see the Dome of Unity in place.

“It’s our future,” Grotovsky said.

Chen said residents can share with future generations on how they “got to know each other” through designing the dome.

“We all came together in 2025,” Chen said, “and we created this for the city of Joliet.”

After a national call for sculpture ideas, the Joliet Arts Commission and city staff reviewed proposals submitted to the city, and 14 designs were selected as sub-finalists.

The lengthy selection process included online voting from the public and interviews with sculptors at a public meeting.

The Joliet City Council voted 5-4 on Sept. 16 to spend $197,000 for the Dome of Unity, despite previous bashing of the dome on social media.

To contribute suggestions for the final design, visit jolietunitydome.com. For information about Chen, visit sijiachen.com.