LEGO Creatures Join the Menagerie at Green Animals This Summer
Head to Rhode Island to see artist Sean Kenney’s remarkable animal sculptures, made with LEGO bricks.
LEGO sculptor Sean Kenney’s roseate skimmer dragonfly is much larger than life, and you can see it at Green Animals this summer.
Photo Credit : Dave Hansen / The Preservation Society of Newport CountyGreen Animals Topiary Garden in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, stands out among the Newport Mansions as a destination for families. And this summer, kids will go wild for a new flock of animal friends that has joined the property’s beloved green giants. Unlike the elephant, giraffe, lion, unicorn, and other animals carved out of California privet, English boxwood, and yew bushes, these creatures are made of LEGO bricks. And they’re more than just cool photo ops.
Photo Credit : Dave Hansen / The Preservation Society of Newport County
Artist Sean Kenney isn’t just out to wow and inspire young LEGO enthusiasts with his creations. He’s on a quest to make us think about the relationship between humans and the natural world.
Recognized as one of the world’s leading LEGO designers, Kenney’s chosen art medium is one that feels accessible to even the youngest aspiring creators. His “Nature Connects” installations, which have traveled to gardens, zoos, and science centers around the world for more than a decade, are meant to encourage viewers to contemplate their place in the natural ecosystem and to consider everyday habits they might change to protect animal habitats. The interconnection of little toy bricks serves as a metaphor for the way everything in nature is delicately intertwined.
Photo Credit : Dave Hansen / The Preservation Society of Newport County
Green Animals, the oldest and most northern topiary garden in the United States, is the only place in the Northeast to see Kenney’s elaborate LEGO animals this summer. They’ll be on view daily through September 10, 2023, and tickets can be purchased online. In addition to the 14 sculptures on display at Green Animals, Kenney’s Bonsai Tree is on exhibit inside the Welcome Center at The Breakers in Newport.
Photo Credit : Dave Hansen / The Preservation Society of Newport County
SEE MORE:
Best New England Garden Attractions
10 Best Things To Do in Rhode Island
Coastal Weekend Getaways in Newport, Rhode Island
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Kim Knox Beckius
Kim Knox Beckius is Yankee Magazine's Travel & Branded Content Editor. A longtime freelance writer/photographer and Yankee contributing editor based in Connecticut, she has explored every corner of the region while writing six books on travel in the Northeast and contributing updates to New England guidebooks published by Fodor's, Frommer's, and Michelin. For more than 20 years, Kim served as New England Travel Expert for TripSavvy (formerly About.com). She is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and is frequently called on by the media to discuss New England travel and events. She is likely the only person who has hugged both Art Garfunkel and a baby moose.
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