Nathan Sawaya's "Blue" will be among the artist's works shown in Stamford Museum & Nature Center's new LEGO exhibition, Architecture of the Imagination: The Lure of the LEGO Brick opening March 2, 2008. Visit www.stamfordmuseum.org for more. (Photo courtesy of the artist).

'Architecture of the Imagination: The Lure of the LEGO® Brick' featuring 'Nathan Sawaya: The Art of the Brick' Opens March 2 at Stamford Museum & Nature Center

STAMFORD, Conn., Jan. 21, 2008 -- More than just childs play, the nearly iconic LEGO® brick has become an art medium all its own. Stamford Museum & Nature Center in Stamford, Conn., presents 'Architecture of the Imagination: The Lure of the LEGO® Brick' featuring 'Nathan Sawaya: The Art of the Brick,' on view March 2 through August 17, 2008. A special Members Preview will be held Saturday, March 1, 2008, at 5:30 p.m.

LEGO® is a phenomenon, explains Curator of Collections Rosa Portell. They are deceptively simple, but it is in this sheer simplicity that their success lies. The uses are only limited to the imaginations of their creators.

New York-based brick artist Nathan Sawaya has elevated LEGO® construction to an art form. Besides recreating objects and buildings - which he does, brilliantly - Sawaya uses the LEGO® brick as other artists use canvas, stone, or clay: to express himself and to challenge viewers to interpret his creations. His amazing Red, Yellow, and Blue series explores emotion through the human form, reaching an artistic level not usually associated with a toy. Sawaya has been featured on some of the biggest talk shows around including The Today Show, Late Night with David Letterman and The Colbert Report. His works are on display in major museums across the country. Visitors to Architecture of the Imagination will have the opportunity to see Sawaya at work on a new piece on Sunday, June 29. For more information on Nathan Sawaya, visit http://www.brickartist.com.

A second part of the exhibition, All Aboard with Bill Probert and Friends, explores LEGO® bricks as engineering tools. Bill Probert of Fairfield, a LEGO® train aficionado and hobbyist extraordinaire, will share his one-of-a-kind trains and lead a group of Stamford High School students in creating a constantly evolving trainscape. During the run of the exhibition, visitors can come and watch the students at work adding buildings and other elements to the layout.

In the last portion of the exhibition, visitors will be invited to try their hand at creating their own brick masterpieces in an interactive, hands-on portion of the exhibition.

For more information, visit http://www.stamfordmuseum.org or call 203.322.1646. Stamford Museum & Nature Center is located at 39 Scofieldtown Road, Stamford, Conn.