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May 31—To see the 14 insects, birds and animals created with Lego bricks and placed amid the hostas, blooming rhododendrons, fragrant lilacs and other plants and flowers at Holden Arboretum in Kirtland is to quickly become convinced that they’re art indeed.
Look closely, and it’s no surprise to learn that the large butterfly perched among the flowering columbines in the Holden Butterfly Garden took 400 hours to build from 60,000 Legos. Double-takes come en route to the wildflower garden when the “Rototiller” seemingly left behind actually is another creation from Legos. Look closely to see its tires and treads realistically made from the familiar plastic bricks.
A huge green “Praying Mantis,” an “American Bald Eagle” next to a tree with peeling bark, and a pair of baby ducklings following mama to water are whimsical and full of life, defying the plastic-brick medium in which they were created.
They’re all part of Sean Kenney’s “Nature Connects,” an outdoor sculpture exhibit residing amidst the blooming of spring along easily walkable paths in the Arboretum gardens between Corning Visitor Center and Corning Lake. The exhibit will remain in place through Sept. 4.
A map of the Arboretum’s core area, available at the entry gate, shows where the sculptures can be found, inspiring a scavenger hunt by those who visit.
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A search for Lego sculptures can be done on foot or even by golf cart, taking the visitor to and through many constantly changing plant collections, including the display garden, hedge garden, wildflower garden, Norweb Tree Allee, Gardner Lakeside Terrace, Lotus Pond, Paine Rhododendron and Discovery Garden.
The creatures, many much-larger-than-life-size, are reinforced, mounted and glued to preserve their integrity through the summer. Each is firmly attached to a below-the-surface disc of steel out of sight and covered with mulch but surrounded by a low fence to prevent enthusiastic viewers from sitting or climbing on them. Each was assembled in parts by Kenney and a team of artists at a professional art studio in Brooklyn, New York, and then crated and shipped before being installed by Atlanta-based Imagine Exhibitions and artists who helped create them with Kenney.
They’re made with regular Legos, available everywhere, although Kenney is the only one in the world permitted to buy the building toys in quantity. He doesn’t work for Lego, but he’s had a long relationship with the company.
After gathering photos and drawings of each subject he’s visualized, Kenney uses graph paper to plan out the shape and size of his creations, but every project starts with old-fashioned Lego block building at his desk.
It’s something the 46-year-old artist has done since he was a boy growing up in New York City, when he was a self-described “Lego maniac,” playing exclusively with Legos.
He’s been a professional sculptor with Legos since 2005, touring with exhibits since 2012 across the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, China, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. He lives with his family in Amsterdam, and his exhibits have been seen and appreciated by millions.
To begin or end a visit to “Nature Connects,” stop in at the Corning Visitor Center to build and display a Lego creation of your own. Share on Instagram and tag with the Holden Arboretum handle, @holden_arb.
The Holden Arboretum, 9550 Sperry Road in Kirtland, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays and until to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays in June, July and August. Members also have access on Mondays. Admission is $20. Admission is $12 for seniors on Tuesdays. Memberships begin at $25 a year. Members also get free admission to Cleveland Botanical Garden. Visit Holdenfg.org for details.
More Lego fun
LEGOLAND Discovery Center Columbus has begun its annual mini Lego competition, with submissions due by June 4.
According to a news release from the attraction, located in Easton Town Center, kids 5 through 12 build a Lego animal, vehicle or plant and submit a photo of their original creation at LEGOLANDiscoveryCenter.com.
The winner represents Ohio in the virtual competition to gain the title of North America’s Mini Master Model Builder.
(c)2023 The News-Herald (Willoughby, Ohio) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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