photo credit: Marc Albert/KRCB

Locals can help shape a planned Sonoma County memorial commemorating the loss and recovery from the 2017 wildfires, but time is running out.

Officials are forming a citizen task force to help select an artwork and shepherd the project through to completion. The budget is a quarter million dollars, but may rise.

Applications to sit on the body, which anticipates a dozen, one-to-two-hour meetings spread over two years, are due by the end of the month.

Kristen Madsen, director of Creative Sonoma, said joining is straightforward.

"I will say, its not a complicated application, its something you can fill out relatively easily, by telling us a little bit about who you are and about why you are interested in serving."

photo credit: Marc Albert/KRCB

She said officials hope to assemble a diverse group.

"We're looking for folks who have been directly impacted by the fires, folks who potentially lost family members, we're also looking for first responders. We are also looking for artists and arts professionals, people who can help us with the technical process of looking at art and proposals that come in know, can that work? Is that a fit?"

Artists will be asked to submit conceptual ideas in the future.

Madsen said the panel will help evaluate designs. While she acknowledges that an artwork's strength and meaning depends on personal perspective, the process is being designed with many chances for input and critiques by the community.

"If we can give people the opportunity to comment about it, that will help us assure that we at least get a good portion of the folks feeling like they've had a voice in what matters to them, about what this art piece might be."

The eventual site of whatever installation is ultimately chosen, will be made by the board of supervisors.