Submitted by City Blocks LEGO Studio
City Blocks LEGO Studio launched it’s first Kickstarter campaign for a LEGO Expo held at Freighthouse Square. They raised 180 percent above their goal and are bringing in 153 foster kids thanks to a partnership with Treehouse4kids.org. Brick by Brick will be a 16-day expo and art show running from March 28 through April 12, including workshops and displays not seen or experienced anywhere else! With this launch, City Blocks aims to bring back the community to a historical icon that is Freighthouse Square.
Brick by Brick features the work of internationally recognized, local LEGO artist Dan Parker and other artists at City Blocks Studio. Of note, along with large displays, the public is invited to create their own scenes and models with thousands of themed and specialized pieces surrounding each interactive “superstation” which includes space, castles, architecture and many others. An engineering area will allow guests to explore kinetic sculpture and bridge buildings as well as simple machines and physics. Toddlers will enjoy the Duplo area where they can create train layouts and more.
Updates and related events can be found at the Kickstarter page. The expo itself runs from March 28 through April 12. Doors are open Monday through Friday 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Saturday from 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m., and Sunday noon to 5:00 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults and $6 for children between ages 2 and 12.
Dan Parker, creator of City Blocks Studio says, “I want to create an experience for the local community. For the last couple years, my business has taken me away from the Freighthouse and greater Tacoma area. I’ve spent a lot of time listening to my customers, and it’s time that I bring something back, giving exactly what they have asked for. I’ve spent 25 years doing events, including over 4,000 projects. I want to build something that engages the imagination and creativity in people of all ages.”
What Makes Brick by Brick Unique?
Dan Parker is a commercial LEGO artist specializing in custom displays, events education, and corporate venues. Since 1999, Parker has produced thousands of projects ranging from miniature and mosaic to sculpture and mechanical. Noted works include a life-size Nativity scene, a working casket, 10-foot Statue of Liberty, and works for Google, Amazon, and The Experience Music Project (Seattle), as well as traveling exhibits and dozens of school programs and kids LEGO camps. City Blocks Studio located at Freighthouse Square is the only artist studio that maintains an open door for the public, allowing Parker and other LEGO artists to demo their works for visitors.
Unlike traditional art expos, Brick by Brick will allow visitors to actually experience, interact, and build while observing talented pieces large and small on display. The expo will include interactive workshops designed for students of engineering, architecture, urban planning and design, and other fields of study. Beyond this, Brick by Brick will be held at the historic Freighthouse Square. This 110,000-square-foot building built in 1909 has been a Tacoma icon for generations featuring other unique shopping and venue space, as well as the most diverse food court in the Tacoma area, including seven international restaurants, allowing visitors to wander and enjoy.
