Columbus Builds On Lego Cult

LOCAL LEGO MANIA 1^stHIT COSI AND NOW THE COLUMBUS ART MUSEUM

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 believe in being a contributing member of society. My professional contributions are presently varied; assisting clients with real estate buying and selling transactions, as well as, performing current property value appraisals for the Delaware County Sheriff. I teach & enjoy exercise and I am a professionally certified fitness instructor at the Westerville Rec Center; I also love to write and blog! My goal is to continue making productive use of my former journalism background and public service skill by remaining active in the community. Prior expertise in zoning & development was gained working in local government. I wish to remain active in the planning arena for the rest of my life! I am always expanding on the knowledge I offer & always ready to put any of my professional skills to work for a new good cause. If you need dependable assistance- call me. I am available to be put to work immediately, so, please, feel free to get in touch with me at your earliest convenience! For Real Estate Help or Otherwise...call me. I look forward to joining you and taking care of delegated project needs. Thanks.
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