• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

UrbDeZine Los Angeles

Urban Planning + Design + Architecture + Historic Preservation

WCAG 2.0 (Level AA)

  • Home
  • Maps
  • Urb Main
  • Log In

Exhibit Review: Nature Connects at the South Coast Botanic Garden

March 25, 2016 By Clement Lau

Bird SculptureDo you enjoy LEGOs and nature?  If yes, then I have the perfect exhibit to recommend to you.  Over the weekend, I visited the South Coast Botanic Garden with my family to see the Nature Connects exhibit.This is an interactive art installation consisting of 15 nature-themed sculptures constructed entirely from almost half a million LEGO bricks.  Created by New York-based artist Sean Kenney, the sculptures took seven months to build.  The pieces are all very detailed and assembled exclusively using LEGO pieces, ranging from a 575-piece statue of a goldfinch to a hummingbird, the symbol of the Garden, which requires 31,555 pieces and stands over six feet tall.  As a LEGO lover (see my previous article), I was just as excited about seeing the sculptures as my four-year old daughter.  What I like about Nature Connects is that it really does help to connect children (and adults alike) with nature, as the exhibit title suggests.  During my visit, I observed many children marveling at the colorful exhibits and learning more about nature from the informational displays that accompany the sculptures.  This was great to see, especially at a time when a growing number of kids may be suffering from “nature deficit disorder.”  While LEGOs are typically used to make models of man-made structures like high-rise buildings, fire stations, airports, and other infrastructure, Kenney reminds us of the importance of nature and creative expression.

Be sure to see and experience the amazing Nature Connects exhibit before it ends on May 8, 2016.   For more information, please go here.  In the meantime, here are some photos for your viewing pleasure.

Rose Sculpture Rose Display Fox Rabbit Sculpture Butterfuly Sculpture Dragonfly Sculpture Dragonfly Display Fun Exhibit Buffalo Sculpture Gardener Sculpture Lawnmower Display Lawnmower Sculpture Goldfinches Sculpture Bee Sculpture

 

Note: All photos by author.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author alone, and do not reflect the official views or positions of the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation.

Filed Under: Arts & Culture, Environment, Feature Posts, Los Angeles, Parks & Recreation Facilities, Review Tagged With: art, experience nature through art, LEGOs, Nature Connects, Nature Deficit Disorder, Sean Kenney, South Coast Botanic Garden

avatar for Clement Lau

About Clement Lau

Clement Lau, AICP, has 20 years of professional experience in urban and regional planning. Currently, Dr. Lau is a Departmental Facilities Planner with the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation. He enjoys writing about a variety of planning issues and is on the author panel for UrbDeZine. He also has published articles in the American Planning Association’s Planning Magazine, the National Recreation and Park Association's Parks and Recreation Magazine, California Planning & Development Report, Public Works Management & Policy, and Progressive Planning. He holds a doctorate and master’s in urban planning from the University of Southern California, and bachelor’s in economics from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa.

Reader Interactions

Primary Sidebar

Chief Editors for City Editions

Wanted: Take Over a City Edition

Why would you want to take over operation of a local UrbDeZine edition?  Click here to find out.

American Planning Association - LA Chapter

2015 Comunications Initiative Award

American Planning Association
California Chapter
Los Angeles

Avatars by Sterling Adventures

Copyright © 2019 · UrbDeZine · Log in