Fire Memorial Public Art Project
In June 2022, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors approved a plan to create and install a commemorative artwork to honor those who lost their lives in the 2017 wildfire complex, remind us of our community’s resilience, and serve as a sanctuary for reflection, remembrance, and healing. Creative Sonoma, a division of the Economic Development Collaborative, will facilitate the project on the County’s behalf.
This page includes the following:
- How to Get Involved
- Latest Project News
- Fire Memorial Work Plan
- Fire Memorial Task Force
How to Get Involved
Sonoma County Fire Memorial Community Survey
Your input will help guide the memorial’s design. Share feedback HERE.
Fire Memorial Community Engagement Sign Up Form
If you are interested in community engagement opportunities related to the Fire Memorial project -such as community meetings or focus groups, please fill out this brief interest form. The bi-lingual English and Spanish form is available HERE.
Latest Project News
Meet the Artist - Virtual Conversation on March 30, 2026, 7-8pm
March 2026: Creative Sonoma invites community members to join a virtual conversation introducing the artist selected to design the Sonoma County Fire Memorial. Watch back a recording of the conversation HERE.
Cliff Garten Studio Commissioned to Complete Fire Memorial Project
December 2025: On December 9, the Board of Supervisors approved an Agreement for Artist Services with Cliff Garten Studio for the Fire Memorial Project. Following an international Request for Qualifications process with more than 80 applicants, the Fire Memorial Task Force selected Cliff Garten Studio, based in Venice, CA, because on his experience with memorials and large-scale public artworks, and his clear alignment with the project’s goals of remembrance, healing, and community resilience.
Garten is recognized nationally for public memorials that are emotionally resonant, accessible, and rooted in community stories. His award-winning I AM A MAN Plaza in Memphis, now part of the National Civil Rights Trail, was highlighted as an example of his ability to create civic spaces that bridge history, landscape, and community experience. His vision for Sonoma County’s memorial emphasizes honoring the heroism and resilience of the Santa Rosa community, acknowledging the impacts of the 2017 fires, and creating a place where individuals, families, and communities can reflect, grieve, and gather. Garten envisions a durable, low-maintenance, long-lasting work that stands as a testament to Sonoma County’s strength, resilience, and deep community bonds.
The first phase of the design process will begin in early 2026 and will center on a robust community engagement process led by the artist. Community members interested in participating can sign up HERE. Opportunities will include group conversations, artist-led sessions, and public presentations of the evolving design.
Agreement for Site Use Approved
December 2025: On December 9, the Board of Supervisors approved a Revocable License Agreement with the City of Santa Rosa. Under the agreement, the County may use up to one acre of Nagasawa Community Park for installation and long-term maintenance of the memorial. The artwork will be located at the south end of the park alongside the parking lot.
Finalists Selected
Fall 2024: 84 submissions were received for the Fire Memorial RFQ from artists/artist teams locally, regionally, and internationally. The Task Force carefully reviewed all submissions and selected six finalists. Submissions were scored on artistic excellence and innovation, experience with large scale public artworks, community engagement experience and demonstrated sensitivity to address the memorial nature of the project and its impact on Sonoma County residents. Finalists attended a site orientation at the intended site, Nagasawa Community Park, and interviewed with the Task Force in Dec. 2024.
Artist Request for Qualifications
June 2024: The RFQ for artists or artist teams was open June 6 - August 9, 2024. The main considerations included: artwork that clearly honors the memory of those who lost their lives in the fires and the subsequent resilience of the community in the wake of the 2017 Sonoma County wildfires; a design that meaningly reflects the community's experiences and aspirations, incorporating insights gained through a community engagement process; and a design that evokes themes of remembrance, resilience, hope, and renewal.
Site Selection Update
Spring 2024: In late March, the Board of Supervisors approved the Fire Memorial Task Force's recommended primary site: Nagasawa Community Park, located in the Fountaingrove neighborhood of Santa Rosa. Maddux Ranch Regional Park, located in the Larkfield-Wikiup area, was selected as the best alternative.
Project Manager Selected
Summer 2023: Karin Demarest has been selected as the Fire Memorial Project Manager. Before the launch of her company, the Demarest Strategy Group, she served as the Vice President for Community Impact at the Community Foundation Sonoma County for 11 years. In addition to her deep commitment to fostering equitable, resilient communities through alliance building and authentic engagement, Karin is a performing artist, cyclist, and local moderator.
Fire Memorial Work Plan
An approved Work Plan will provide guidance to all involved with the project. It describes the entities that are involved in the process, what their roles will be, how decisions will be made, and a budget and timeline. Some aspects of the project may be determined later in the process, at which point this Work Plan will be updated.
- Read the Sonoma County Fire Memorial Public Art Work Plan (October 2022 version) HERE.
The goals for the Memorial will be finalized through a process that will be led by Creative Sonoma and will include input from a Memorial Task Force. Preliminary goals for the memorial include:
- Create a place for acknowledgement, remembrance, gathering, and reflection
- Create opportunities for community healing that acknowledge the community’s individual and collective grief and sense of loss
- Recognize that people have experienced and are processing grief and trauma in individual ways, and accommodate those differing paths as much as possible
The process will be designed with significant flexibility for artists to conceptualize many types of memorial artworks, based on feedback gathered through community engagement activities. Proposed memorial artworks might include physical sculptures, gardens, mosaics, story collections and kiosks, and other process-oriented works.
Finally, because the threat of wildfire continues in Sonoma County, it should be noted that this memorial project is not intended to be a “capstone” on the impact of fires in our community.
Fire Memorial Task Force
- The Memorial Task Force will:
- finalize the work plan, including project goals and themes;
- ensure that appropriate artists are invited to participate in the RFQ/RFP process;
- support and participate in community engagement processes designed by the Task Force, staff and artist;
- selecting finalists and a subsequent artist or artist team to receive the commission;
- support the development of the project concept including reviewing design development as appropriate;
- advocate for the project as it is being developed and when it is completed.
Memorial Task Force Selection Process
Creative Sonoma solicited recommendations and self-nominations of individuals to serve on the Memorial Task Force from February – June 2023. Creative Sonoma established a small ad hoc committee, including representatives from Districts 1, 3 and 4, and the Creative Sonoma Advisory Board, to review the pool of applications and recommend who the Memorial Task Force members should be. As part of the review process, Creative Sonoma and the ad hoc committee interviewed potential Memorial Task Force members as needed. The recommendations for the Memorial Task Force were presented to the Board of Supervisors in July 2023 for its consideration and were approved.
- The Task Force roster is listed on the County’s Boards & Commissons webpage and can be found HERE.
Memorial Task Force Composition
The Memorial Task Force of approximately 7 members consists of a broad cross-section of stakeholders, including representatives of families who lost loved ones in the fires, first responders, artists, and arts workers.
For further questions about the Fire Memorial Public Art Project, please email CreativeSonoma@sonomacounty.gov or call 707-565-6121.