Scepter is a steel sculpture that created by Steve Tibbetts to represent both a human figure and a sovereign’s emblem.

Steve Tibbetts created this stunning sculpture and gifted it to Western Washington University in 1966. Before it was gifted, the artist created it for a competition, using pre-1954 car parts, which resulted in him winning first place.

Not much is known about Tibbets himself. Besides being a graduate of WWU, it is unclear if he created any other works after Scepter.

The sculpture is characterized by its formidable appearance. Compared to numerous other works featured at the university, it almost seems creepy. When viewed in the snow, the sculpture looks rather scary, but when viewed on a sunny day, Scepter seems to be a protecting force.

Many artists are influenced by what is predominantly going on around them culturally and politically. Prominent events that happened in the early to mid 1960’s that might have influenced Tibbetts work could be the civil rights movement, the push for women’s rights – feminism, and gay rights.

Researched and written by Adam Husting and Jarita Hui