BRATTLEBORO, VT — The Brattleboro Museum and Art Center (BMAC) invites makers of all ages to design and build original LEGO creations and display them at the 17th Annual LEGO Contest and Exhibit from Nov. 7 to 11. An awards ceremony will be held on Nov. 6.
Click here for contest guidelines and an entry form.
New this year are special prizes for Most Creative Micro Build, Best Use of Moving Parts, and Most Interesting Use of Color. Winners of the three new categories and Best in Show will each receive a $100 gift card to the LEGO Store. The 17th Annual LEGO Contest and Exhibit is generously sponsored by Foard Panel and G.S. Precision, Inc.
All LEGO contest entries must be delivered to BMAC on Monday, Nov. 4, between 4 and 6 p.m. An online entry form must be submitted before dropoff, including a $5 entry fee. (Fee waivers available upon request.) Guidelines and entry forms are available at brattleboromuseum.org.
Every entry submitted to the contest will be displayed at BMAC from Thursday, Nov. 7, through Monday, Nov. 11. The museum is open 10-6 on Nov. 7-8, and 10-4 on Nov. 9-11. Admission is “pay as you wish.”
Having showcased the talents of hundreds of LEGO artists of all ages every year since 2008, BMAC will again honor the creativity and craftsmanship of all contestants with an awards ceremony on Wednesday, Nov. 6, at 5:30 p.m. Doors open at 5 p.m. In addition to the new categories, prizes will be awarded in six age groups: preschool-kindergarten, grades 1-3, grades 4-6, grades 7-12, adults, and adult/child collaborations.
BMAC Director Danny Lichtenfeld noted that memorable entries from past years have included a replica of Brattleboro’s Harris Hill Ski Jump, busts of Abraham Lincoln and Bernie Sanders, a working ATM and slot machine, an assortment of mechanized marble runs, a six-foot tall pink office building, a ferris wheel, an amusement park, a grandfather clock, a model of BMAC, and spaceships galore.
“This event is so delightful because it’s all about celebrating creativity and having fun together,” Lichtenfeld said. “We are particularly excited about the new special prize categories and can’t wait to see what this year’s builders come up with.”
The public is invited to take LEGOs a step further by attending a printmaking workshop at First Proof Press in Brattleboro on Sunday, Nov. 9, at 2 p.m. Learn how to design and construct a unique letterpress substrate, or printing surface, with LEGOs, then use the substrate to create letterpress cards and posters. All materials will be provided, and no prior printmaking experience is needed. Space is limited, so advance registration is required. Register at brattleboromuseum.org.
Brattleboro Museum & Art Center
Founded in 1972, the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center presents rotating exhibits of contemporary art, complemented by lectures, artist talks, film screenings, and other public programs. BMAC is open Wednesday-Sunday, 10-4. Admission is “pay as you wish.” Located in historic Union Station in downtown Brattleboro, at the intersection of Main Street and Routes 119 and 142, the museum is wheelchair accessible. For more information and accessibility requests, visit brattleboromuseum.org, call 802-257-0124, or email office@brattleboromuseum.org.
BMAC is supported in part by the Vermont Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support is provided by Brattleboro Savings & Loan, C&S Wholesale Grocers, and Sam’s Outdoor Outfitters.
