This sculpture entitled “Life on the Wild Slide” was selected by the Greeley Art Commission and installed outside the Greeley Ice Haus in 2005. The public art piece depicts a teenage boy pulling three younger children in a serpentine pattern over the ice. The children are having the time of their lives as the wind whistles by them. The friendly neighborhood dog tries to keep up on the slick ice without losing his footing.
The children are dressed in period winter clothing including mittens, stocking caps, scarves, hats with ear flaps, coats, and of course, ice skates!
The movement of the clothes blowing as the children pick up speed and the excitement in their faces all reflect the joy that is experienced in the Ice Haus every day.
The largest of the life-sized figures stands approximately five feet tall. The shortest child figure is about 3 feet. The dog stands about 26 inches tall. The connected figures are about 14 ½ feet long with a width of 7 feet.
Incorporating the base as part of the sculpture allows visitors of the Ice Haus to get close to the work. Notice the marks the skaters’ blades have left in the “ice”.