We all have our own nicknames for them. There’s “”bird lady”” out front of the UA Main Library, “”the walking clothespins”” on the corner of Campbell Avenue and the UA Mall and that giant baseball mitt at Highland Commons. To many students, these outdoor sculptures serve as landmarks or meeting places — but these interesting pieces are actually works of public art.

Beth Hancock, the public art coordinator at the UA Museum of Art, explained that there are more than 40 outdoor sculptures scattered across the UA campus.

“”It’s pretty diverse. Some have been around since the 1970s,”” Hancock said. And although the art isn’t presented in a typical museum setting, the museum takes great pride in the sculptures. “”They’re installed outside, but are still a part of the museum’s permanent collection,”” Hancock added.

For example, the bird lady is actually a 1982 bronze sculpture entitled “”Girl with Doves”” by artist David Wynne, and those walking clothespins or tweezers are the

“”Curving Arcades”” by Athena Tacha. Tacha, Hancock noted, is a significant, nationally known artist whose pieces are featured in museums from Tucson to Ohio to New York.

And what’s the verdict on that baseball glove? It’s entitled “”Table of the Sun”” by John T. Young. In fact, the massive granite and steel installment was recently renovated, and now has a new look as “”Table of the Sun Cubed.””

Although we may not hear about it very often, all the other works of public art have unique titles, stories and artists just like these.

For this reason, the UA Museum of Art offers walking tours of the public art to anyone interested in learning more about this inspiring feature of campus.

“”Every Wednesday, the visitor center plans some kind of campus tour. On the third Wednesday of each month, it’s a tour of the public art,”” Hancock said.

Public art tours highlight dozens of pieces at five major locations on campus. Tours are free and hosted by docents from the museum. Check out January’s tour of public art on campus this Jan. 19.

For more information, visit the UA Museum of Art’s website or call 621-5130.