A Mist Opportunity

A misting sculpture like the Dover rings would up the “cool” factor in our city. (Courtesy of the Dover District Council)

The Idea

Dover, England, might be best known for its fabled White Cliffs of Dover, but a certain man-made attraction made a splash in 2022 when a piece of public art encircled with misters sprung up in the middle of the central city’s shopping district. 

As part of a town square revitalization project, four massive steel rings were installed, and on warm days, they emit a cooling mist to all who pass through. Upon its unveiling, one local publication there quoted a visiting American saying, “I think the water feature would have better use in California where it’s much hotter.”

Perhaps she was from Sacramento.

The fact is, misting features are becoming commonplace in restaurant patios and children’s parks, but not so much in urban public art. And Sacramento, of all cities, should change that.

Each year seems to usher in new record heatwaves. Already in 2026, we had the hottest March in Sacramento history. Our city’s founders planted trees to help alleviate the oppressive heat. Let’s keep that up too, but let’s also add some misters to the civic amenities mix, especially in high-traffic pedestrian areas for the biggest impact.

A couple ideas for where such a sculpture might reside here: Old Sacramento’s boardwalk (perhaps mimicking steam from vintage locomotives) or perhaps Downtown Commons, where the Golden 1 Center draws millions of visitors annually (one could imagine giant, mist-emitting letters spelling out D-O-C-O that visitors could walk through). There’s no shortage of compelling sites.

The Players

As it happens, Bryan Roe, the president of Coachella Valley-based Koolfog—one of the country’s top misting vendors—lives in El Dorado Hills. The company has created mist effects for Disneyland and Universal Studios theme parks, and cools patio diners at Fair Oaks’ Shangri-La, midtown’s Waterboy, and East Sacramento’s bustling Garden at the Line to name just a few. Koolfog also has extensive experience working on public art installations around the country, including in Pittsburgh and New York City, though not yet in Sacramento. The Sacramento Office of Arts & Culture oversees much of the public art in the city and would be great facilitators, soliciting ideas from artists and participating in site selection.

The Bottom Line

Naturally, the costs of public art run the gamut, and art itself can be as simple or as ambitious as its funders want it to be. England’s Dover rings are simple but elegant, and the misters elevate the work into an experience—an oasis of literal and figurative coolness that invites the public to interact with it and escape the heat of the concrete jungle. Whatever the cost might end up being, the value of beautifying public spaces while simultaneously lowering the ambient temperature in a city breaking heat records? Priceless. 

Want to Learn About More Inspiring Ideas?

Keys to the City – Crosswalk Art

Sitting Pretty – Sun-Powered Street Benches

Sidewalk Stories – Shadow Public Art