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Four Oregon projects that incorporated public art have received from Americans for the Arts.

The Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization, an advocate for the arts and arts education, compiled a list of 31 outstanding public art projects constructed in 2014. Three were for the city of Portland: Fire Station 21, a nature playground at Westmoreland Park and improvements to Southeast Division Street. A memorial at the Oregon State Hospital in Salem also was recognized.

The projects are included in the Public Art Network Year in Review database, which annually recognizes compelling public art in the U.S. and Canada.

This year’s jury-selected projects were announced last week during an Americans for the Arts’ convention in Chicago. The 2015 Public Arts Network Year in Review jury included an Oregon official – Peggy Kendellen, public art manager for Portland’s Regional Arts & Culture Council.

Pacific Northwest artist David Franklin was honored for an installation that invokes water ripples on the west façade of Fire Station 21 in Southeast Portland. The building was designed by Whelton Architecture in collaboration with architect David P. Suttle and constructed by Skanska USA Building.

A Portland Bureau of Transportation streetscape improvement project was recognized for including eight sculptures of people by Portland artists Crystal Schenk and Shelby Davis. They were installed along Division Street between 11th and 36th avenues.

Americans for the Arts recognized the Portland Parks & Recreation effort to replace the Westmoreland Park playground with a nature play area designed by Portland-based landscape architecture firm GreenWorks in collaboration with artist Adam Kuby.

Seattle-based art and architecture firm Lead Pencil Studio was honored for designing a memorial that holds the 3,456 cremated remains of patients who died at the Oregon State Hospital and were never claimed by family members.