Go ahead, take a seat! The Heavyweight was commissioned for Krasl Art Center’s sculpture garden in 1994. From the beginning, the sculpture was intended to be welcoming and interactive. Each year, hundreds of children and adults climb on, stand on, sit on, and hug the 800-pound hippo now known as Lotus.
Dr. Burt Brent was an apprentice in a taxidermy studio at the age of thirteen. He went on to become a world-renowned surgeon, famous for ear and face reconstruction for children. In 1987, Brent sculpted a bronze rhinoceros for Rhino Rescue, an auction at Sotheby’s that raised money to establish a Kenyan rhino preserve. Dr. Brent’s rhino became an instant success, and since then he has created many wildlife sculptures, often donating his earnings toward other organizations like Rhino Rescue.