D202 Middle School Students Contribute Ideas For Dome Of Unity Installation In Joliet

PLAINFIELD, IL — Timber Ridge Middle School art students helped inspire public art in downtown Joliet.

On Oct. 16, a group of sixth graders participated in a hands-on papercut art workshop led by Los Angeles artist Sijia Chen ahead of her "Dome of Unity" art piece being installed in the Joliet City Square, near the Rialto Square Theatre.

The Joliet City Council voted 5-4 — with Mayor Terry D'Arcy casting the tie-breaking vote — to approve a contract for Chen to create the 19-foot-wide, $197,000 taxpayer-funded sculpture.

The public art project garnered significant backlash from residents and opposing council members who argued it was the wrong use of taxpayer dollars — "I just think we're spending money that we don't have to spend," Councilman Joe Clement said at a Sept. 15 meeting.

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The workshop that Timber Ridge students participated in was part of a community engagement phase of the project. Students learned about the history and cultural significance of traditional papercut art and how it shaped the artist's vision for the Dome of Unity. They also had the opportunity to try the art themselves and contributed ideas, images and stories that may inspire the final design of the art piece.

The structure will feature light-filtering papercut-style patterns. The installation is scheduled to be unveiled in May 2026, according to district officials.

The workshop was designed to "inspire creativity, cultural connection, and civic pride — allowing students to directly influence what the 'Dome of Unity' will look like," Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202 officials wrote in a news release. Chen also visited other Joliet schools and hosted a communtity workshop about her art and the Joliet piece.

"This is a unique opportunity for our students to see how art connects people and communities," Lindsey Bandy, assistant principal at Timber Ridge Middle School, said in a statement. "They aren't just learning about art — they're helping to create something lasting that represents unity, identity, and the diverse spirit of Joliet."

According to her website, Chen was born in Shantou, China and lives and works in Los Angeles. She is a multimedia artist recognized for her papercut collages and large-scale sculptures. Her work explores themes of cultural identity, collective memory, and the impact of human displacement, blending traditional craftsmanship with contemporary techniques.