PHIL GOFF, ARLINGTON, MASS: “Because of the design, this is not just a sidewalk. The poles bring an element of public art into a public space and make it more interesting.”

CARL EPPICH, SOUTH PORTLAND: “I like how the art elements enhance the bike path. They enhance the facility, especially the lights. They break the bridge up into sections.”

PAUL NIEHOFF, PORTLAND: “I think the bridge as a whole is pretty impressive. It is now a gateway between Portland and South Portland with a very nice memorial to the armed forces. I’m mostly interested in the functionality of the bridge itself.”

ARTIST LAUREN FENSTERSTOCK, PORTLAND: “Projects in public spaces will always have both fans and passionate detractors. For me, the important thing is that the public is taking the time to introduce, assess, and discuss art and design as a community. A community that pushes its members to form an individual opinion is a healthy and rather lively place to live.”

ARTIST ALICE SPENCER, PORTLAND: “I commend the effort that was made to incorporate public art into the Veterans Bridge and to offer a ‘gateway’ experience to people arriving in Portland. I feel that the result is not entirely successful. The upright steel members that, I believe, are meant to reference the sea grass of the river estuary do not easily read as such, and the variation in their curvature is awkward. The three bays with ‘sea grass’ prongs grouped in the center and on one side of the bridge are too few to create the kind of the rhythmic visual experience that repeated structural elements can provide for a moving car. I find the Veterans Memorial with its repetition of the sea grass theme uninspired.”

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