By Christie Bender
Grand Rapids Public Museum
The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) just announced Sean Kenney’s Wild Connections Made with LEGO® Bricks, an award-winning and record-breaking exhibition that uses beautiful creations made from simple toy blocks to explore animal endangerment, the balance of ecosystems, and mankind’s relationship with nature, is opening Saturday, June 20.
Produced by Imagine Exhibitions, Wild Connections depicts important topics that the New York artist, Sean Kenney, holds dear, from protecting an animals’ habitat, to planting a garden, or using a bike instead of a car. Wild Connections shows that just as LEGO® pieces interconnect, everything in nature is interconnected in a delicate balance. The narratives, along with the intricate displays, explore the importance of conservation, the balance of ecosystems, predator/prey relationships, as well as the relationships between humankind and the natural world.
Most importantly, the exhibition allows visitors to appreciate both nature and the sculptures as something beautiful and inspires them to go home and create something wonderful themselves.
Tom Zaller, CEO of Imagine Exhibitions shared, “Imagine Exhibitions is proud to partner with Sean Kenney to bring the creative vision of Wild Connections to the Grand Rapids Public Museum. The messages in the exhibition about our connection to nature are beautifully presented and effectively weaved into the story in the hopes of inspiring visitors to think more about mankind’s impact on the greater world around us.”
Explore the beauty and wonder of Sean Kenney’s Wild Connections Made with LEGO® Bricks this summer. Tickets go on sale Spring 2020 and will be available at grpm.org or by calling 616-9291700. The GRPM will host an Opening Party for the exhibition on Saturday, June 20. Details at grpm.org.
Brick Built Exhibits Throughout West Michigan
In addition to Wild Connections at the GRPM, the John Ball Zoo will open the brick-built exhibition called BRICKLIVE Animal Paradise for the spring and summer, together creating a full experience for the community. The GRPM and John Ball Zoo will be partnering throughout the run of these exciting exhibitions. BRICKLIVE Animal Paradise features over 40 sculptures of endangered animals to not only entertain but also educate about the importance of the preservation of endangered species. Visit grpm.orgor jbzoo.org for further information.
“As two public organizations in West Michigan, we are pleased to partner with the John Ball Zoo to host these two similarly themed exhibitions this year,” said Dale Robertson, President and CEO of the Grand Rapids Public Museum. “By partnering to bring this full experience to the community, using both of our locations, we are able to create an even deeper connection to the content.”
