Have you ever heard of a certified Lego builder? There are only a handful in the world, and an exhibit showcasing their giant Lego sculptures is currently in our very own backyard — the Awesome Exhibition at Seattle Center.
The Awesome Exhibition debuted in Australia in 2016, drawing Lego lovers from across the country to view the giant sculptures and interactive experiences. Seattle is the first American city to receive the exhibition.
“So it’s the very first time it’s been on American soil, and we even have two new Lego models that were built specially for its debut, including the Space Needle, which is very large and very, very beautiful,” said Jonathan Rockefeller, a presenter of the Awesome Exhibition.
The Awesome Exhibition features 40 life-size models, including a 24.5-foot-tall NASA rocket ship, the largest model at the exhibit. “The whole exhibition took 5,000 hours to build, and it uses more than 2 million Lego bricks. There’s an orca whale in the exhibition as well, which weights 700 pounds,” he said.
The process of transporting the Awesome Exhibition to Seattle was not easy, as many of the models had to be shipped in large boxes. “Some of them come in pieces — the 24.5-foot rocket ship, which is extraordinary to see in the exhibit, comes in about six different parts, each one is about 6 feet tall, so you can imagine you’ve just got to slide them and rotate them until they all slot together just like a giant Lego model,” Rockefeller said.
How are these giant Lego sculptures built? That’s where the Brickman — also known as certified Lego builders — come in.
“The Brickman team start with a whole series of plans and ideas, throw them around and then they get into computers and work out how to scale them up and how to build them into large wonderful objects. Then they spend hundreds and hundreds and thousands of hours building each model. A lot of them are bonded, so they can’t fall over and fall apart, but it is incredibly intricate work,” Rockefeller said.
Ryan McNaught is the leader of the Brickman and “one of the 14 certified Lego builders in the world,” Rockefeller said, adding that the Brickman team is specially certified by the Lego company to be official builders. Ryan and his team have built some of the largest Lego models in the world.
Throughout the exhibit, visitors can also find interactive building stations to make their own creations. “Everyone gets to contribute to the longest Lego snake wall with their own little panel that they get to add to it. And then [visitors] get to build models which are inspired by the big ones as well, so you see lots of really cool Caterpillar dump trucks or penguins,” Rockefeller said, adding that the exhibit is “a great activity for the whole family.”
“If you’re a kid or an adult or an adult with a kid inside you, you’re going to absolutely love it,” he said.
The exhibition runs through Jan. 16, 2022, at Seattle Center’s Fisher Pavilion (305 Harrison St., Seattle). Find more information at: awesomeexhibition.com
The Awesome Exhibition is part of Seattle Center’s Winterfest, a celebration of holiday entertainment, lights and more Nov. 26-Dec. 31. Inside Seattle Center Armory, find the Winter Train & Village and weekend mainstage performances, including choral music, jazz and acrobatics. The Winter Train features a 40-foot-long model train and miniature village 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. Visitors can pick up an entry sheet at the village train station and look for clues in a scavenger hunt.
Outside the Armory, discover noontime ice sculpting on Saturdays, colorful lights and more. The lights, provided by Climate Pledge Arena, includes a special International Fountain light and music show at 6 p.m. daily.
Find more information at: seattlecenter.com/events/featured-events/winterfest
Here are some other events happening Nov. 26-Dec. 2 in the Puget Sound area. If you would like to submit an event for consideration, please fill out the form at the bottom of the post.
Enjoy local art from 15 island artists including mixed media paintings, sculpture, jewelry and more 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. 1515 Shoreview Drive, Freeland; 360-639-4299; whidbeyartmarket.com
Comedian Liz Miele headlines four shows at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. both days at Laughs Comedy Club. Miele has appeared on Comedy Central, NPR, Hulu and more. Purchase tickets online; $15. 5220 Roosevelt Way N.E., Seattle; 206-526-5653; laughscomedyclub.com
The Duwamish Longhouse presents an art market and holiday gift fair 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Visitors can also enjoy soup and fry bread available at the market. Free. 4705 W. Marginal Way S.W., Seattle; 206-431-1582; duwamishtribe.org
Join the 12th annual holiday shopping tradition in support of small businesses 11 a.m.-2 p.m. There will also be a welcome and information booth at Occidental Park. Free. 117 S. Washington St., Seattle; 206-667-0687; pioneersquare.org
Celebrate the return of Everett Philharmonic’s live orchestral music at 3 p.m. Paul-Elliott Cobbs will conduct Tchaikovsky’s beloved violin concerto performed by Carrie Rehkopf and Mendelssohn’s “Reformation.” Purchase tickets online; $10-$25. 2415 Colby Ave., Everett; 425-585-8975; everettphil.org
King County Library System hosts a virtual class for those ages 55 and older to celebrate traditional dances at 1:30 p.m. There will be a mix of genres and an attitude of gratitude will be incorporated in the class. Both standing and seated dances available. Register online; free. kcls.org
Join this workshop led by PCC cooking class instructor Tiago Freitas 6-8 p.m. to learn fundamental tips for building the perfect vegetable broth and how to make three soul-warming recipes — ribollita, beet borscht and a carrot and ginger soup. Register online; $80. 450 N.E. 71st St., Seattle; pccmarkets.com
Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley welcomes old-school-meets-new-school jazzy soul singer José James touring in support of his new album at 7:30 p.m. Enjoy a mix of holiday tunes, covers and originals. Purchase tickets online; $30.50. 2033 Sixth Ave., Seattle; 206-441-9729; jazzalley.com
Join KCTS 9 and Crosscut either virtually or in-person to celebrate the new season of “Mossback’s Northwest” with Knute “Mossback” Berger and producer Stephen Hegg at 6:30 p.m. The program will explore the origins of “Mossback’s Northwest” and look forward to the new season with behind-the-scenes stories, details on how the show is made and a special sneak preview of the first episode of the new season. Purchase tickets online; $15/in-person, free/virtual. 401 Mercer St. Seattle; kcts9.org
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Explore life-size Lego models at the Awesome Exhibition, plus other things to do this week – The Seattle Times
