Collecting short lists of memorable public art projects from a range of colleagues has been revealing about the ways that public art functions in our life and memories. Here's what Lili Ott, the Director of the Concord Art Association has to say:

Anish Kapoor's "Cloud Gate" in Millenium Park in Chicago just blew me away.  I'd seen lots of images of it, so I didn't expect such a gut reaction to it, but no picture had prepared me for the way it reflected not only the clouds and skyscrapers, but also all the people under it, around it, beside it. It was like the vitality of Chicago and all the Carl Sandburg poetry I ever read and all the history of Chicago was summed up in sitting and watching that sculpture reflect all the natural and man-made life around it. Very powerful

The Gateway Arch in St, Louis designed by Eoro Saarinen, which could be classed either as architecture or giant sculpture I think, was also amazing. I loved the way it reminded people that St. Louis was the gateway to the West, all the Lewis and Clark history, all the hopes for a shining future, and then its bold clean design. And it looks so modern but it's older than I am and the little tram seats can't hold as many of us big fat Americans as Saarinen designed it for in the 40's.  That really brings home how much we've changed.

In Minneapolis, Spoonbridge and Cherry by Claus Oldenberg and Coosje Van Bruggen, made me realize that playful public art can be just as effective and iconic as "serious" art. Made me look at the art I show in a whole new way.

Fun to think about -- and I'm interested myself that the three that came into my head at first were all from trips I've taken in the last decade-- not from all the art I see every day at work or up and down the East Coast where I've lived. Hmmm.  I bet you'll get an interesting selection of answers.

Share your three personally pivotal public art project with me, either here, or via email at [email protected].