News-Leader

Frog sculpture turns heads near U.S. 65 and Evans Road

Just north of the Evans Road exit on US 65, there is an empty field east of the highway.

Flanked by a church and residential houses, a massive frog sculpture named Totally sits in the center of a three-acre lot.

No, he did not jump into the field on his own. He was placed there by his owner, Mike Hill.

For people zooming by on the highway, the frog "just immediately bring up the question, 'Well, what is that?' and 'Why is that there?,'" Hill said. "I'm not surprised that people are curious."

Hill bought two identical frog sculptures 10 years ago from his friend, sculptor Bob Cassilly. One 3,500-pound frog sat outside his wife's business, Touché Design Group, and one outside of Hill's business, Cross Creek Architectural Artifacts. Four years ago, the Hills moved one frog, Totally Touché, named after the business it sat outside of, to the lot they purchased just south of Springfield on the edge of Ozark. Now they just call him Totally.

One day near Halloween, the Hills were driving north on they noticed Totally had been dressed up like a ghost. Since then, almost every holiday someone has dressed up the frog. He was Frosty the Snow Frog for Christmas and a bunny sat on top of him for Easter. Hill said he loves seeing the frog dressed up.

The frog's sculptor and Hill's dear friend, Cassilly died in a tragic accident in September 2011. Cassilly was well-known for creating St. Louis' City Museum and Turtle Park. He was in the process of creating another artistic destination, Cementland, when he died. Cassilly created many animal sculptures like a hippopotamus, butterfly and giraffe.

"It means so much to have a remembrance of Bob because he was such a forward thinking guy," Hill said.

Less than a year ago, Hill sold Totally's twin to Audrey Burtrum-Stanley of Arkansas.

Why sell it?

"I guess I really didn't need two of them and she was just a really sweet lady," he said.

Burtrum-Stanley said she was driving with her husband near Mercy, then St. John's hospital, and she saw the frog in front of Touché Design Group. She told her husband to pull back around so she could see it again. "I have been known to make some unusual purchases," she said in a phone call. She remembered saying to her husband, "That is just a spectacular piece of sculpture."

When she called to inquire about the frog, she was told it was not for sale. One year passed. Burtrum-Stanley was with her cousin's daughter, who was dying in then-St. John's hospital. Burtrum-Stanley was standing by the window of the hospice wing and saw the frog again. At that point she knew she had to have it.

Burtrum-Stanley called Hill and asked if he would sell her the frog. She did not get the frog in front of Touché Design Group, but Hill agreed to sell her the twin in front of his business.

It was not unusual for someone to notice the frog from inside the hospital, Hill said. "People in the hospital literally would call Touché and say, 'It just makes my day to wake up in the hospital bed so dreary and so down, and all I have to do is look out the window and see that frog and it just makes me smile.'"

Hill had not considered selling the frog before Burtrum-Stanley called him, but he said she was very persistent and was such a sweet lady, he couldn't resist letting her have it.

While discussing the price of the frog, Hill told Burtrum-Stanley a story about the sculptor. In the 1970s, Cassilly was visiting Vatican City. He was studying the Pietà sculpture by Michelangelo when a man jumped on the sculpture and starting beating it with a hammer. Cassilly stopped the man and held him down. Burtrum-Stanley was impressed by the story. She was an art major in college and has a love for all art.

"That was the cherry on the sundae," she said.

Burtrum-Stanley said her frog will be placed near the river on a piece of property she plans to buy soon.

Hill said he might develop or sell the field Totally is sitting on, but for now he plans to keep the frog right where he is.

"He has been a lot of fun," Hill said. "I tell you I have never had more fun with something in my life."