CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Fans of LEGOs are expected to assemble at the Museum of Science and Industry starting this February for a unique exhibit of LEGO bricks.
The Art of the Brick, a captivating exhibition featuring intriguing works of art made exclusively from one of the most recognizable toys in the world, the LEGO brick, is coming to the Museum of Science and Industry in February.
The critically acclaimed collection of creative and inspiring pieces constructed using only LEGO bricks is created by renowned contemporary artist Nathan Sawaya.
Designed to inspire ingenuity and creativity, MSI said The Art of the Brick is the world's largest and most elaborate display of LEGO art featuring more than 100 works. The exhibit features original pieces as well as re-imagined versions of some of the world's most famous art masterpieces made exclusively from LEGO bricks like Van Gogh's “Starry Night” and Da Vinci's “Mona Lisa.”
Guests can get up-close and in-person with the fan favorite, Yellow, a life-size sculpture of a man ripping his chest open with thousands of yellow LEGO bricks cascading from the cavity. In addition, guests can walk under a 20-foot-long T-Rex dinosaur skeleton made out of bricks and come face-to-face with its giant LEGO skull.
“The Art of the Brick takes LEGO somewhere you wouldn’t expect and shows you things you have never seen before,” said artist Sawaya. “The goal with this collection of art is to demonstrate the potential of imagination and the power of creativity.”
The Art of the Brick is the first major museum exhibition to use LEGO bricks as the sole art medium. Sawaya transforms LEGO bricks into tremendous and thought-provoking sculptures, elevating the toy to the realm of art. Sawaya’s ability to transform this common toy into something meaningful, his devotion to spatial perfection and the way he conceptualizes action, enables him to elevate what almost every child has played with into the status of contemporary art, the museum said in a statement.
The exhibit runs through Sept. 5. Tickets are $14 for adults and $11 for children (in addition to Museum Entry tickets) and are on sale now at msichicago.org/artofthebrick.
MSI said the blockbuster exhibit kicks off a slate of experiences coming to the museum this year.
In addition to The Art of the Brick, starting Jan. 17 the Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibition will be on display. The longest-running exhibit of African-American art in the nation—hosted at MSI since 1970—showcases nearly 200 works by professional and student artists. The annual Black Creativity program also features an Innovator Gallery of African-American leaders who are transforming Chicago; educational workshops for students; family events; and the Black Creativity Gala. A special exhibit, Black Creativity: Architecture, explores the impact of Black architects throughout history, from ancient buildings to modern skyscrapers.
Plus beginning in February, two guest favorites reopen to the public after pandemic-related closures. The Coal Mine takes guests down a mineshaft, along the rails and through a true-to-life coal mine with an engaging tour of mining history and innovations. The U-505 On-board Tour is an interactive walk through history, from the cramped quarters to the feel of battle.
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