Art in Public Places

‘Tides of Justitia’

Tides of JustitiaTides of JustitiaFamiliar to anyone who drives along Burwell Avenue in Bremerton, “Tides of Justitia”is an installation in the Bremerton Police Department’s courtyard. Five roug-hewn granite spheres and a granite bench surround a metal sculpture made by artist James Kelsey, a former Port Orchard resident who now lives in Centralia.

Tides of JustitiaThe five polished spheres in the sculpture (which is nearly 12 feet tall) represent the department’s creed of P.R.I.D.E: professionalism, respect, integrity, dedication, excellence. In contrast, the granite spheres symbolize the community in which the police officers work — rough around the edges but striving for perfection and peace.

The installation was commissioned by the Bremerton Arts Commission as its first piece as part of the city’s “1 percent for art” program.