BRICKS AND BLOOMS: ASTOUNDING INTERACTIVE NATURE CONNECTS EXHIBIT PREVIEWS AT SOUTH COAST BOTANIC GARDEN — Southern California’s ONLY stop on National Tour Will Connect Families to Nature with One-of-a-Kind LEGO® Brick Sculptures

EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW SLATED FOR NOVEMBER 17 

PALOS VERDES PENINSULA, CA—October 28, 2015 – Imagine a walk through a beautiful garden where you round a corner and come face-to-face with a bison! Not a real one, of course, but one entirely constructed from 45,143 LEGO® bricks.  Families will be able to enjoy a toy-filled exploration this spring at the South Coast Botanic Garden, which will host an exciting family-friendly ecosystem of fun, flowers and fauna: Nature Connects. This interactive art installation entirely constructed from nearly half a million toy bricks will bring 15 nature-themed sculptures to the Garden, along with multiple hands on activities.

A special preview for media and special guests will take place at the Garden on Tuesday, November 17. A variety of hands-on toy brick building activities for kids and much more will offer a taste of how creative and fun minds connect to nature with science and engineering.

The South Coast Botanic Garden in Palos Verdes Peninsula will be the only Southern California stop for this nationally touring exhibit, which will be unveiled to the public on February 19 and be on display through May 8, 2016.

“This is the first botanic garden in Southern California to offer this one-of-a-kind and engaging artistic vision, representing a whole new way to experience nature through art. In bringing Nature Connects to South Coast Botanic Garden, we hope to share the importance of making connections with the natural world. More importantly, with the garden’s commitment to providing a unique horticultural and wildlife habitat experience, we want to demonstrate successful land reclamation and sustainability through the familiarity of LEGO toy bricks,” said South Coast Botanic Garden Foundation CEO Adrienne Nakashima.

The sculptures, created by New York based artist, Sean Kenney, took seven months to build. The pieces are all incredibly detailed and assembled exclusively using the popular connecting toys. They range from a 575-piece statue of a goldfinch to a hummingbird, the symbol of the South Coast Botanic Garden, which requires 31,555 pieces and stands more than six feet tall.

Membership allows entry into the garden 364 days a year along with other exclusive perks including free parking, special members-only events and discounts. Membership covers access to this exhibition as well as admission to the Garden all year long and other benefits.

About South Coast Botanic Garden

Located in Palos Verdes Peninsula on lush 87-acres, the South Coast Botanic Garden has more than 2,500 different species of plants. Their mission is to serve the community by providing a unique horticultural and wildlife habitat experience, and to represent a model of excellence for land reclamation and sustainability. The South Coast Botanic Garden is a public garden co-operated between the County of Los Angeles, Department of Parks and Recreation and the South Coast Botanic Garden Foundation. For more information, please visit www.southcoastbotanicgarden.org.