Frozen River

Artist Stephen Glassman described this piece as, "A rambling path of local stone and bent pipe loop-de-loops across the horizon, apparently in motion, defying gravity like a frozen river. The sculpture is in response to Calgary's inspiring elemental force and beauty - the rolling prairie, the metallic sky, the arctic air, the glacial river, and emerging mountains. It is a gesture to the native glacial and prairie landscape and its people." This artwork named Frozen River, greets visitors at the south side of the new Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at Rotary Park in Calgary.

Keeping it durable and lasting made hot-dip galvanizing the preferred coating for the artist.

Public Art Policy required this art installation to be part of the capital project for the new EOC. A panel consisting of five members including a community association member voted to select the artwork. They felt this piece was strong, impressive and it imaginatively engages with the geography of the Calgary area. After months of work constructing the piece a practical robust coating had to be chosen to protect the steel structure. The fact that the 5 ton steel structure would house the abrasive river rock and have to weather the harsh Calgary winter, made this even more imperative. Keeping it durable and lasting made hot-dip galvanizing the preferred coating for the artist. Also, due to the various hollow intersecting pipes and overlaid steel mesh, the hot-dip galvanizing process afforded the best application of coating considering such a radical design while maintaining visual appeal. Many local residents and Rotary Park visitors will now have the opportunity to experience and appreciate this artwork. It is a culmination of research, creativity, planning and thoughtful selection of materials. This interpretation created into this piece of art, will now withstand the test of time for generations of the community, thanks to the benefits of hot-dip galvanizing.