LEGO exhibit ranks among top draws at Lakeview Museum
The "Art of the Brick" took its place Wednesday among the top exhibitions at Lakeview, joining the ranks of "The Passion of Rodin" in 1988 and "Dinosaurs Alive" in 1990.
The unsuspecting Aller family of Washington represented the lucky 38,334th through 33,338th visitors to the showcase, comprised of pieces made entirely of LEGOs, featuring artist Nathan Sawaya. Winners Andrea Aller, 13, Jenna and Grant, both 9, Natalie, 7 and baby-sitter Rachel Thompson were greeted with a spray of LEGO bricks and noisemakers.
"We don't have anything like this in Washington, so it's good to come here to the museum. The (children) don't realize they're actually learning stuff, too," Thompson said.
Wednesday's visit was actually Grant's third to the LEGO collection, though it was the first visit for at least one of his siblings. He said he collects and crafts LEGO sculptures himself.
For prizes, the family received a LEGO kit, key chains, jewelry and a year's membership to the museum.
"Shows like this make museums relevant to a lot of people. You've got someone like Nathan Sawaya who creates in LEGO something everybody knows," said Jim Richerson, president/CEO of Lakeview. "You'd have to be under a brick not to be exposed to LEGO."
Museum officials said the benefit of the "Art of the Brick" is that it appeals to every age, including children, parents and grandparents. It also gives the public an opportunity to check out the Discovery Center, Illinois Folk Art and the museum's permanent collection.
Other top draws at Lakeview were: "The Passion of Rodin" in 1988, which sold more than 60,000 tickets; "Norman Rockwell: The Great American Storyteller" in 1989; and "Dinosaurs Alive" in 1990. Other major draws at Lakeview included Toulouse-Lautrec, which attracted more than 24,000 in 1991, and "The American West," which attracted about 15,000 in 1992.
The "Art of the Brick" exhibit runs through Labor Day and is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. The cost is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors 60 and older, and $4 for children ages 3-17. For more information, call 686-7000.
"Everybody, I believe, inside has the ability to create and build and the LEGO system inspires that," Richerson said.
