The Domesticator is a recent addition to the sculptures present on Washburn’s campus, courtesy of Scott Wallace.

The piece features a dog balanced on top of two spheres, looking down toward the ground. 

“It looks more like a chess piece to me, it’s very unique,” said Derrick Bentham, sophomore criminal justice major, “I like the dog on top of it.” 

The statue stands between Morgan Hall and the Memorial Union. It peers at pedestrians, calling for perspective and questions as to the meaning of the piece. 

“I was thinking more of how you have to be something you’re not to try to impress the world,” said Allison Elsbernd, senior. 

Opinions across campus have been varied, but the piece has been noticed. 

“It kind of looks like a dog taking a dump,” said Cyrus Hodgson, junior marketing major. “That’s not what it’s supposed to be though, right?”

The statue is a part of a series of sculptures that have appeared in Washburn’s annual Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition. The exhibit features artists from the state of Kansas and beyond.

“I’d be interested in knowing the casting process of it because it has a seam down the middle,” said Carl Dillman, a Washburn alumni with a BA in anthropology. “It looks whimsical and lighthearted.” 

Each of the selected sculptures received an honorarium of $1,500 for their presentation.

“It’s different,” said Jeanna Lee, Washburn alumnus. “I don’t know what it means, but I’d like to.”

The art piece’s true meaning is to be determined by its audience.