Lego Lovers Will Show Their Skills at BrickUniverse Convention
Date Posted: July 11, 2019
Posted In: News, Workforce,
From St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Did you know that the name Lego comes from the Danish phrase “leg godt,” meaning “play well”? While Legos may be designed for kids, people of all ages have been playing well for years, and the sets of interlocking plastic bricks are more than just toys.
Greyson Beights knows this better than anyone. The native of Afton, Va., founded BrickUniverse and held his first fan convention in 2015.
This weekend, Greensfelder Complex in Queeny Park will be packed with like-minded Lego fans as St. Louis welcomes its first BrickUniverse convention.
Beights, 19, never imagined that his first event would go nationwide.
“I was only 14 at the time, and I had no idea that it would become this large,” he says. “I just know I wanted to create this public learning experience, to inspire people to do Lego. So I never envisioned it to go across the country.”
As one of the largest Lego fan events in the world, BrickUniverse is where children and adults can come together to have some fun. It’s organized by fans and showcases professional Lego artists from around the world, along with hundreds of their creations.
“What’s cool about this is that each artist comes into Lego from different perspectives, so you’re seeing a full circle of what can be done with Lego, and I guess that’s what’s really special about them,” Beights says.
Jonathan Lopes will be one of the featured artists at BrickUniverse. The San Diego Lego builder will showcase more than 30 of his displays, including an 8-foot-tall model of New York’s Woolworth Building.
“We’ve had so many kids and adults whose dream is to become a Lego artist or to become a better Lego builder themselves,” Beights says, “so to actually be able to talk to these artists is a cool experience I think.”