American Heart Association
Heart Education Exhibit Centerpiece
Structural Design, Engineering, Fiber Optics by George E Brooks
Research, Sculpting, Color Rendition by Barbara Brooks
7' Tall, Soft To The Touch, Replica of a Human Heart, American Heart Association, Heart Health Education Center Exhibit Centerpiece ca. 1995
This centerpiece has been viewed by over 3 million visitors at the Amercian Heart Association's Heart Health Education Center in Delaware. The heart slowly rotates behind the protective railing at front, its optical sensors lighting up areas on the heart in correlation with viewer nomenclature on front apron.
The replica was transported from the Brooks Engineering facility located in Copalis Beach, Washington where it was fashioned to Newark, Delaware, a stones throw from the Atlantic Ocean. Literally an ocean to ocean trip, shipped in a climate controlled North American Van Lines vehicle of the same type used in the transport of the Dead Sea Scrolls when visiting this country some years ago. The difference being, with the Heart there was no need for helicopter gun ships to escort the transport vehicle.
The entire trip was pre-routed and mapped to circumvent uneven roadways, railroad crossings and the like to avoid jostling the precious contents. The sleeper rig enabled the driving team to run day and night only stopping to refuel. Its progress across the country was closely monitored so its arrival would fit nicely with television news crews covering the event.
Within the small acrylic sphere shown right, is an actual human heart that has been chemically processed to withstand long term display.
Applying paper mache over chicken wire and contoured MDF disks arteries, other details sculpted to scale
Used scuba diving foam to meet AMA soft-to-the-touch specifications when covering paper mache/plaster shell.
Fat was sculpted in clay, cast in plaster then molded in a semi-soft polyurethane, as were veins and arteries feeding the heart muscle
Fiber optic controller was engineered to receive signals from a prerecorded message and activate during explanation of specific areas and functions of the heart
The heart leaves on its journey from its place of birth in the Brooks Engineering and Design facility a quarter mile from the Pacific Ocean to its destination at the American Heart Association Heart Health Education Center as the exhibit centerpiece where it will live its life teaching millions a few of the intricacies of the human heart.
