By: Chase Zagurski
The Kiewit Luminarium opened its installation of the travelling Brick Masters Studio Exhibition on Sept. 26, inviting Omaha residents to an interactive view of creativity through the lens of LEGO bricks.
The exhibition will continue through Jan. 18. It prominently features the work of artist Sean Kenney, who has built numerous sculptures and murals out of LEGO bricks and had them displayed in various installations around the United States.
The exhibition is modeled as a mock-up of Kenney’s work studio, guiding attendees on a winding path through the artist’s creative process. Individual exhibits teach attendees how to think with color, shape and structure, and give insights into how projects are planned, constructed, shipped and installed.
Kiewit Luminarium Communications Manager Patrick Mainelli said the exhibition’s unique focus on explaining and promoting creativity shifts the exhibition from an experience geared solely towards kids towards a more all-ages experience.
“It’s also for people who once were children and enjoyed playing with LEGO bricks, but there’s also so much to learn in terms of engineering and kind of the science and creativity that went into making the sculptures,” Mainelli said. “The sculptures themselves are beautiful works of art, so really anyone who appreciates art should appreciate this exhibition.”
The exhibition features several interactive stations intended to get attendees thinking about the LEGO® not just as toys, but as engineering and artistic tools.
Lauren Fischer visited the Luminarium on the exhibition’s opening day with her friend and both of their children. She said the Brick Masters Studio Exhibition was a perfect fit for the Luminarium’s general focus on mixing fun, art and education.
“The Luminarium is such a great community resource that we have here in Omaha,” Fischer said. “We’re so lucky to have these difference museums and exhibits and things that just keep our kids interested in engineering, STEM and all the different things that build their brains and show then what possibilities are out there for them.”
The grand opening was preceded by a Luminarium members-only preview event, held after normal building hours on Friday, Sept. 25.
Kenney will be giving a Holland Talk lecture on his creative process and career at the Luminarium on Friday, Oct. 2. He will also be hosting a Walk & Talk tour of the installation on Saturday, Oct. 3.
