Sean Kenney’s award-winning exhibit, Nature Connects Made with LEGO Bricks, is brought to the Houston Botanic Gardens this month.
The exhibition runs from Saturday 24th September to Sunday 19th February 2023 and offers nature lovers and LEGO enthusiasts alike a six-month treat.
Nature Connects is an exhibition designed to highlight and illustrate the delicate balance of nature. Kenney’s exhibit attempts to convey this balance of nature and the larger ecosystem through life-size statues of various plants and animals.
Produced by Imagine Exhibitions, an Atlanta-based company, Nature Connects has depicted important themes close to heart for Kenney, a New York-based artist, from protecting animal habitats to planting a garden to using a bicycle instead of a car 2012.
For the Houston Botanic Gardens, this exhibit serves as an opportunity to help people in the city get involved and connect with their inner green fingers while providing an in-depth educational experience.
“I think this is a really exciting exhibit for us to continue introducing the garden to families and others who don’t know how much they will fall in love with this place,” said Claudia Gee Vassar, president of the Houston Botanic Gardens. “The sculptures are really beautiful and whimsical for all of us who love Lego except when we step on them!”
Coincidentally, alongside this exhibition, the Botanical Garden is also celebrating its second anniversary, with a very special family celebration taking place on the opening day of the exhibition, with food, games and various nature activities throughout the garden.
“It’s really fun to be able to celebrate two years,” said Vassar. “I know we’re all going through a pandemic period, so on the one hand it’s surprising that it’s been two years, and at the same time it feels like a really long time. So it’s really a wonderful time to think about it. The garden has grown and changed so much since we opened and it continues to change.”
Despite opening in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Botanical Garden has hosted several events like this exhibition as well as special horticultural seminars, one of which will be held on September 17, a few days before the exhibition opens.
According to Vassar, the Botanical Gardens have been a naturalist’s dream in Houston for many decades. The garden began as a small non-profit organization that eventually grew into the garden we know today in 2015 when the lease for the property was officially signed with the City of Houston.
“I hope that everyone who comes to the garden falls more in love with this place,” Vassar said. “And feels a deeper appreciation and commitment to plants, nature and our planet, so that we are all inspired to do something more to get closer to nature and nurture our precious plant diversity.”
For those wishing to attend, the Nature Connects exhibit is included in the Houston Botanic Garden general admission fee. Admission is $10 for children ages 3-15 and students with valid ID and $15 for adults. “Reduced Day” rates of $8 for children ages 3-15 and students with valid ID and $12.50 for adults are available Monday through Thursday.
