The Central Museum of History is excited to show off a LEGO Mania exhibit opening for visitors on Family Day.
The exhibit starts September 21 will be on display through the winter. There will be a wide variety of LEGO creations from two different collections. Andrew Reynolds and Professor John Flanders have brought dozens of finished pieces to display in the museum.
While their hobbies both involve the world-famous building bricks, their styles vary greatly. Fans of the 2014 animated comedy The LEGO Movie will recognize the difference, as Flanders noted.
“I would describe it as, he (Reynolds) is Emmet and I’m the dad who threatens to use glue to put things together,” he said.
For those unfamiliar with the film, Emmet is the main character in the LEGO world of the movie and must learn to buck the instructions to become a “master builder.” These are the creative heroes who build straight from their own imaginations – just as Reynolds does.
Having built LEGO kits since he was 10 years old, Reynolds eventually “moved beyond the traditional kits” to designing and constructing his own structures – known in builder’s circles as MOCs (My Own Creations). His house is now home to more than 150,000 LEGO bricks, and his pieces have been displayed throughout the Midwest.
To aspiring builders, Reynolds’ advice is simply “use your imagination!”
“There is no wrong way to build,” he said. “Building with LEGO can and has helped people understand the world around them.”
Many parts of that world can also be found in Flanders’ pieces, as the CMU professor of business and economics has built a large portion of his collection using LEGO Architecture sets. This special collection highlights some of the world’s most iconic buildings and skylines – and is responsible for Flanders’ continued interest in the hobby.
Flanders says he used to help his son build LEGO sets every holiday season and was “crushed” when the boy said he no longer needed his dad’s help. Luckily, Flanders discovered the Architecture sets and was able to carry on the tradition for himself. Now he has the complete Architecture collection, including pieces that weren’t released in the U.S.
Flanders says his collection of various buildings, characters, and structures seems more “impressive” in the museum – as opposed to jammed together in his office, its usual home.
“It’s really cool to see them all set up by themselves,” he said of his pieces. “I’m impressed with myself.”
See Flanders’ and Reynolds’ impressive structures and more LEGO memorabilia on display this weekend, while the exhibit is open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in T. Berry Smith Hall.