Maquette for Primary Sculpture

Tacoma Police Department
Memorial Project

Bronze, Stainless Steel, Cobalt Glass,
Natural Granite & Polished Black Granite

Primary Sculpture:
15' x 10' x 8'
4.57 x 3.05 x 2.44 Meters

Since 1885, the Tacoma Police Department has had a 120 year history of pride and dedication.   In all this time they have only lost 10 officers in the line of duty.   Up until now, they haven't had an official memorial for those courageous officers, but that is in the process of changing.

In August of 2005, James Kelsey won a design competion and was awarded the commission to create something worthy of the long history and sad losses of the Tacoma Police Department.   The maquette pictured to the left is a 1/6 scale model of his final design. This web page has been designed so that members of the T.P.D. and interested members of the public can find out about this important work and, if time allows during the process, to watch as different elements are created.

A THIN BLUE LINE:

There is a term that has been used by police offers for as long as can be remember and it's "The Thin Blue Line"   This refers to the traditional blue police uniform.   In a very real sense, the police *ARE* that line between the criminals & rest of us, between good & evil, and between right & wrong.

This memorial is to those who have lost their lives holding this 'thin blue line' in order to protect us all.   To establish this idea, figuratively and literally, there will be a 100 foot-long line through the courtyard of the TPD Headquarters created from recycled, cobalt-blue glass. This glass line will be set into the concrete and run from Pine Street, past the primary sculpture, ending at a memorial courtyard.




THE WORDS AND THE MEMORIAL COURTYARD:

Initially, I had thought the deep blue line would suffice for this portion of the memorial, but I decided it needed something else.   The line ends at the memorial courtyard, a place surrounded by trees. . .   quite. . .   contemplative.   Due to the many trees and plantings that will surround the courtyard, it may not be noticed as people pass by, and I felt it was important to pull Tacoma citizens in.   In order to do this, there will be a poem engraved into the entire length of the line.   This will be an original poem, or prose, written by a T.P.D. Officer or resident of Tacoma.  

Cobalt Blue Tiles will be 5
This is a sample of the tile made from recycled cobalt glass.

Within the courtyard will be The Tribute to the Fallen.   This piece will be based on the primary sculpture pictured above.   It will use the bronze elements, but they will cross each other, one being entirely flat on the ground with the other intersecting it. A large slab of polished black granite will be mounted to the top of the upper element and will be engraved with not only the names of the officers, but with their stories as well.  




THE PRIMARY SCULPTURE:

The main sculpture of this memorial is something very unusual for a memorial of this kind, and I think it will distinguish Tacoma from the crowd. While the piece is abstract, it would more accurately be described as "representational abstraction". The Bronze form is that of a person stepping onto a rock, climbing. . . The person has their hands up and in front of themselves holding something, or, more specifically, releasing something.  

The stainless steel represents the wind.   Held within it are broken shards of the thin blue line. . .   shards of those who have fallen.   We hold our hands up above us, not in surrender, but in search of strength; we open our hands as the wind takes our fallen; we let go, but as the sculpture represents... we never forget.




THE CITY MEMORIALS:

One aspect of this project which is still being considered by the City of Tacoma are the City Memorials.   There have been 10 officers killed in the line of duty in the 120 year history of the T.P.D.   For me, this project has always been about the Citizens remembering their officers -- their Protectors.   I realized early on that most Tacoma residents would never find themselves at Police Headquarters, or even at a substation, so, it is my desire to place polished granite markers at or near the places these brave officers have died.   More than just a headstone with a name and date, I want to engrave the entire story of how they died onto these markers.   People may not remember the names and dates, but after working on this project for months, the one thing that will never leave me are their stories, and if people remember these officers' stories, then the officers will NOT be forgotten, which, is the true purpose FOR a memorial, isn't it?


THE FIVE SUBSTATION:

The last portion of my project involves the five police substations located throughout Tacoma.   There will be a simple, wall mounted sculpture in each of the neighborhood gathering places. I will use the upper portion of the main sculpture as my inspiration by combining the curved stainless steel with the shards of cobalt blue glass.   Officers and community members will have to work daily with these pieces of art in their space, and I didn't want something oppressive or depressing, instead, while having a tether to the true memorial, these sculptures will be light, and bright, and uplifting, and, I hope, Inspiring as well.