Is it LIVE or is it MEMOREX?
That memorable slogan
popped into my mind several times along with amazement as I toured two
exhibitions featuring LEGOs as the main attraction. It reaffirmed my belief
that human ingenuity was made for LEGOs.
If you liked Lincoln
Logs and LEGOs as a kid, you’re probably not alone! These building toys are as
inspiring today as they ever were. I’m thinking all the things I just saw at
both the Columbus Art Museum (CMA) and Center of Science and Industry (COSI),
will imprint the brains of hundreds of new followers, big and small, who come
to view these highly imaginative ways big and small pieces of plastic were put
together.
You HAVE to see these
structures, to believe that people can actually build such art-tastic,
true-to-life scenes with something called a ‘toy’! One of the exhibit rooms at
the art museum has an entire downtown Columbus, Ohio streetscape, which
encompasses several blocks of familiar skyscrapers.
Obvious connoisseurs and
LEGO fanatics exist right here in Buckeye Central! They have put miraculous
talent and energy into construction of ‘forms’ through interlocking hundreds
and thousands of these building blocks. It was a privilege to have had a recent
opportunity to take in the sights of some really magical LEGO work on display
in two of Columbus’ best places for exhibiting creativity.
I had seen a picture
on-line previously of the award-winning Ohio Stadium replica made entirely out
of LEGOs. Standing a foot away photographing the intricate details of this
masterpiece was mind-blowing!
LEGOs are one of those
rare ‘toys’ that bring families and multi-generational groups together to enjoy
the limitless possibilities of imaginative play. The simplicity of design has a
lot to do with LEGOs staying power; it has remained virtually unchanged in
design, though, today’s building bricks come in a variety of colors and
hundreds of shapes and sizes.
A bucket of LEGOs has
different outcomes every time they’re dumped out. Everyone from artists to
engineers can relate; and there’s tons of evidence to show what happens when
experimentation and critical thinking skills combine with LEGOs!
The fascination with
LEGOs that hit our Capital City is part of a worldwide ‘Lego Cult’. Seriously!
Google the word LEGO-
you’ll be brought up to speed quickly. Better yet, spend a day at CMA, or, plan
a trip to COSI this winter. You will get a life-size lesson and explore why
this timeless tinker-toy is loved by all ages.
CMA’s
LEGO exhibition is called, Think Outside the Brick:
the Creative Art of LEGO, It is a collaboration with the COSI LEGO Castles
exhibition. In addition to traveling LEGO displays featured at these two
museums, Columbus is showing off its brightest LEGO Building Block Masters
through participation in a first-ever LEGO building contest. Contestants were
chosen from the following 3 categories.
1.COSI’s Castle
Challenge: Create a castle that defends against catapults, battering rams, and
dragon attacks.
2. Columbus200
Challenge: Celebrate Columbus’s 200th birthday by using exactly 200 LEGO@
bricks to build an original creation of your choice. It does not need to be
Columbus-themed, but it must include exactly 200 LEGO@ pieces.
3. Imagination
Challenge: Build a creation that responds to the question, “What does
imagination look like?”
The contest separately
judged works by individual LEGO® builders ages 6-adult and families or
groups of Ohio residents. The finalists are now on display at CMA. Winners will
be awarded prizes in January at the exhibit’s conclusion.
CMA’s Center for
Creativity designed the contest hoping it would spawn local originality; it
delivered such things as a whimsical Taco Truck; and some spectacular sci-fi
creatures and tiny caricatures of favorite cartoons, all made entirely out of
LEGO® Bricks.
This winter the crowds
at COSI & CMA will also get a good look at realism in some surreal LEGO®
sculptures, paintings, and multimedia dioramas that literally left me
questioning what is real and what is LEGO®-pixelated recreation!
The world's fascination
with LEGOs is something I discovered while exploring the Land of LEGO exhibits
here in town.
My favorite displays
have local roots. The LEGO artwork shared by The Central Ohio LEGO Train Club
is a combination of handiwork heralding the gifts of local LEGO architects.
They brought to life a crowd-pleasing super-sized display depicting images of
our very own downtown, with all the landmarks that were not spared any familiarizing
details that I found myself going around the table recognizing with great
pleasure!
COSI was first to turn
up the heat on LEGO MANIA in Columbus. COSI will be continuing to give visitors
hands-on lessons with the tools of this trade in addition to featuring
awe-inspiring LEGO works for the rest of the year. Everyone is invited to come
explore, build and play in their LEGO® Castle Adventure, which is an assemblage
of exhibit areas featured on the first floor.
I personally observed
numerous “Wreck-It Ralph" juniors having their way with some of the big
LEGO bricks (fortunately these were made of a rubbery material). I also saw
young children and elderly adults all equally busy with their hands building
things. All in the name of play-time. It is hardly something I would describe
as work, except, I saw a lot of works of art that had to have taken hundreds of
hours to create so perfection-istically!
What can you do with a
brick?
You can find out for
yourself at CMA & COSI this winter. Both of these facilities will keep you
Thinking Outside the Brick by bringing new things to do with LEGOs every month.
Columbus' has a big LEGO
following and it will keep growing this year. LEGO construction curiosity
seekers need only visit CMA & COSI for a turn at being turned into master
builders! There is a lot to check out, including, a different gallery, theme,
and activity offered at each of these two locations on different dates. You can
find actual details about these things on their respective websites.
Upcoming weekend
activities will feature LEGO entertainment through January 2013. With cooler
temperatures outside now, I can't think of a better way to heat up
imaginations!
I
am guessing the spotlight on LEGOs at these two premier Columbus, Ohio
facilities will result in a run on LEGO® products this holiday season? I have
already seen numerous television commercials highlighting new LEGO sets for
sale. I noticed the ads right after attending these exhibits with LEGO creations still very
vividly on my mind. I know for a fact there will be a bucket under the tree in
my home this year!
If you
go on-line, you can learn more about some of the Ohio kids who entered their
designs of castle life for the local LEGO building contests. Their stories are
unique and interesting and reveal the inspiration they get when they turn toy
building materials into works of art and fully functioning life-size objects.
I went to Creekside Park for the presentation
sponsored by AEP Ohio® and the City of Gahanna Department of Parks &
Recreation. 
