Sculptures Built with LEGO® Bricks Now a Traveling Exhibit

After its immense popularity this summer at Reiman Gardens, the Nature Connects: LEGO® Brick Sculpture Show has now become a traveling display.
The show includes 27 sculptures making up 14 displays created from nearly 500,000 LEGO® bricks. They range in size from 6 inches to nearly 8 feet, with the largest sculpture, a mother bison, made from 45,143 bricks. The sculptor, Sean Kenney, is based out of New York, and is one of only 13 LEGO® Certified Builders in the world given permission by The LEGO® Group to build on their behalf. For more information on the artist, Sean Kenney, visit his website here.
Anyone interested in leasing this show for their garden, zoo, or museum, should contact Teresa McLaughlin, Director, at tmcl@iastate.edu or 515-294-4412.
Click here to view a photos of the sculptures.
A. Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly
Butterfly Survey Networks have been established in many U.S. states to watch and count butterfly populations. Harmful changes in an ecosystem can be connected to the population numbers of these easy to identify and fragile insect species.
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Item
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LEGO® Pieces
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Quantity
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Butterfly
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37,481
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1
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B. Mosaic
Everything in nature is interconnected. You can help by promoting the interactions all living things have with each other. The first step is to understand the importance of these connections.
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Item
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LEGO® Pieces
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Quantity
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Mosaic
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29,578
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1
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C. Rose
For centuries, people have been breeding plants to meet specific environmental or cosmetic needs, such as creating roses that are resistant to diseases. One way people can connect to nature is by manipulating it.
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Item
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LEGO® Pieces
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Quantity
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Rose
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41,242
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1
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D. Water Platter and Koi
An ecosystem is defined by a connection of all living and nonliving objects in an area. Each ecosystem is as diverse as all the items found within it from forest to ocean and mountain to desert, and particularly fresh water lakes and ponds, like the one featured here.
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Item
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LEGO® Pieces
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Quantity
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Lily Pad
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10,598
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5
|
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Lily Bloom
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1,675
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1
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Jumping Koi
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1,937
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1
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Frog
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530
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1
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E. Germinating Acorn
Plants serve as one of the essential links in nearly all ecosystems.
Plants provide food, shelter, and breathable air that link all living things by being the “root” of nearly all food chains.
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Item
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LEGO® Pieces
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Quantity
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Acorn Seedling
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15,581
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1
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F. Common Green Darner Dragonfly
Water is a finite resource and connects all living things on earth. It has been around forever, but we cannot create more of it. The water that showered dinosaurs is the same water that dragonflies use today to breed in and drink. Water is one of the most important resources for us to safeguard as it continuously recycles itself.
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Item
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LEGO® Pieces
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Quantity
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Dragonfly
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6,535
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1
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G. Bison and Calf
When the unique prairie ecosystem in the nation’s heartland was altered, the bison were almost eliminated because of their close connections to the prairie. It takes hundreds of years to create the rare ecosystem found in natural prairies.
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Item
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LEGO® Pieces
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Quantity
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Mother Bison
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45,143
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1
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Calf
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16,229
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1
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H. Garden Worker
Because humans are on the top of the food chain, our activities have deep rooted and often permanent impacts on our planet.
Individual effort, whether through the preservation of wild lands, or the simple act of responsibly tending a garden, makes a significant impact on nature.
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Item
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LEGO® Pieces
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Quantity
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Garden Worker
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37,497
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1
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I. Goldfinches
Communication is one way animals stay connected. Communication through bird calls can be between individuals of the same species or even across species. The goldfinch continues to learn songs into adulthood and can recognize its mate by its particular tune.
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Item
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LEGO® Pieces
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Quantity
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Goldfinch
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575
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5
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J. Lawn Mower
Many unique, fragile, and important ecosystems survive in our national, state, and local parks and preserves. By maintaining these habitats it protects the important connections of all organisms within an ecosystem. The next time you’re tending or mowing your lawn, imagine what used to be growing and living there 200 years earlier.
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Item
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LEGO® Pieces
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Quantity
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Lawn Mower
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13,704
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1
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K. Hummingbird and Flower
Beyond close and long-term interactions between different species, numerous connections are often stronger. Many species coevolved, seen here by the shape of the tube shaped trumpet flower which matches the long, narrow beak of a hummingbird.
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Item
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LEGO® Pieces
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Quantity
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Hummingbird & Flower
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31,565
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1
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L. Fox and Rabbit
These two animals represent a perfect example of how a balanced ecosystem works. Rabbits provide food for the fox, and the fox keeps rabbit populations at optimum levels to preserve their shared habitat. It’s not often that this relationship is in balance; ask any gardener.
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Item
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LEGO® Pieces
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Quantity
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Fox
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17,547
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1
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Rabbit
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1,361
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1
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M. American Bumblebee
Plants and pollinators have a unique connection. Insects collect nectar, while at the same time, provide pollination for the plant. This relationship is essential for both insect and plant to survive.
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Item
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LEGO® Pieces
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Quantity
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Bumblebee
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16,383
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1
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N. Moth Orchid
One of the most diverse plant species on earth is the orchid family. Each orchid connects to its unique ecosystem through its specific attributes of shape, color, size, and patterns.
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Item
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LEGO® Pieces
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Quantity
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Moth Orchid
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2,300
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1
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