'Michelangelo of LEGOs' exhibits at Everhart in Scranton

Scranton - An artist can see the aesthetic potential in anything, even a child’s toy. Such is the case with New York creator Nathan Sawaya. The Everhart Museum in Scranton will be hosting Sawaya’s exhibit, “The Art of the Brick,” beginning Friday, Feb. 5. The exhibit is one of three of Sawaya’s work currently touring the country, which features sculptures made entirely of LEGO toy building bricks.

“When I began sculpting nine or 10 years ago, I used more traditional forms of sculpting, and then one day I starting experimenting with LEGOs,” said Sawaya.

And the rest is history. Originally an attorney, Sawaya first viewed his art as an after work hobby. But once he began working with LEGOs, the public took notice and he became a full-time artist.

From 2002 to 2007, he was able to put together enough pieces to build a museum exhibit, which Sawaya said appeals to a wide audience.

“The reaction has been pretty good, a lot of people are drawn in because of the use of LEGOs. And what I’ve found is it really draws in the kind of folks who have never been to a museum before,” said Sawaya.

In addition to creating new art lovers, Sawaya’s work has left a lasting impression on enthusiasts, including the Everhart Museum’s curator Nezka Pfeifer, who said she was blown away by Sawaya’s exhibit.

“His sculptures are really interesting and very intricate,” said Pfeifer. “You can actually see the muscular definition in his human figure sculptures. It’s really remarkable stuff. He’s the Michelangelo of LEGOs.”

The exhibit features 29 sculptures, including one of Sawaya’s most famous works, “Yellow,” a sculpture of a man opening his chest to allow LEGOs to pour out, and a 20-foot Tyrannosaurus rex dinosaur skeleton sculpture.

Sawaya said he built the T. rex sculpture with children in mind. He explained that one of the most satisfying aspects of his job is the feeling that he is inspiring a future generation of artists.

“One of the great things about my art form is it’s accessible to kids,” said Sawaya. “They can come see my exhibit and then go home and start making their own sculptures with LEGOs. It’s doubtful they’d have access to marble.”

Proving Sawaya correct, the Everhart has already found a few area artists inspired by LEGOs. In conjunction with “The Art of the Brick,” a showcase will be featured in Gallery One at the museum, “Brick Creations: Student Art at the Everhart.” “Brick Creations” features the work of area students, grades two through 12, asked to create art inspired by LEGOs. Schools involved in the exhibit include Blue Ridge Elementary School, Howard Gardner School of Discovery, Lakeside Elementary School, Mid Valley Secondary School, Montrose Area High School, Mountain View Elementary School and Stourbridge Primary Center.

In addition, the Everhart’s Isaiah’s Corner will also draw inspiration from this exhibit with a focus on “art-chitecture.”

“The Art of the Brick” and “Brick Creations” will be on display Friday, Feb. 5 through May 2.