A sculpture symbolizing the Town of Dartmouth’s 350th anniversary and UMass Dartmouth’s 50th anniversary is in the works.

“My personal feeling has always been that these are significant anniversaries in terms of two institutions’ history, and it would be wonderful if we could have some symbol that recognizes these anniversaries,” said Town Administrator David Cressman.

The artist commissioned for the project is Stacy Latt Savage, an art professor at UMass Dartmouth. At Monday night’s Select Board meeting, Savage presented her proposed design. Her prototype featured a 30-by-15-foot concrete slab that would have the town map displayed on its surface.

At the center of the piece — or, more specifically, where UMass Dartmouth would be located on the concrete map — an eight- to nine-foot tall metal sculpture would be installed. This metal piece would be representational.

“Because it’s on an academic campus, [the scultpure] would have a feeling of growth and moving forward,” said Savage.

A key design element of the sculpture would be the materials Savage would use to construct the metal centerpiece. She envisions repurposing pieces of metal from around town as a way to display and represent parts of the town’s history.

For instance, she said she previously procured eight 20-foot bars of steel from Lincoln Park, the site of a former amusement park. She has metal from the Round Hill Point radome as well.

The proposed location of the statue is near the main entrance of the UMass Dartmouth, which is off of Old Westport Road. She said the sculpture will be to the left of the entrance.

“I think it will be interesting for students on campus to understand where they are in relation to their town,” said Savage.

Select Board Chair Shawn McDonald liked Savages’ initial proposal.

“I like the concept of a map with [a sculpture] growing out of it. I also like the idea of something growing,” said McDonald. “Not only will it represent academia, but it will represent agriculture in this town and the town itself. The town does grow. We’re continually evolving and trying to reinvent ourselves.”

Savage said she will be working on the piece throughout the next academic year. She added that residents of the town who wish to contribute found objects representing Dartmouth’s history can reach out to her. Objects should be made from weldable metal. An example might be part of an old bridge or a piece of used farming equipment.

UMass Dartmouth is going to pay for the concrete pad and for benches to be installed around the sculpture. Funds left over from Dartmouth’s 350th anniversary celebration will help fund the commission for the metal sculpture.