San Diego—THE ART OF THE BRICK, a captivating exhibition, featuring intriguing works of art made exclusively from one of the most recognizable toys in the world, the LEGO® brick, is set to make its debut in San Diego on Friday, September 30, 2016, at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center. Tickets are on sale now for this critically acclaimed collection of creative and inspiring pieces constructed using only LEGO bricks by renowned contemporary artist Nathan Sawaya.

Designed to inspire ingenuity and creativity, THE ART OF THE BRICK is the world's largest and most elaborate display of LEGO art featuring more than 100 works of art. The collection features original pieces as well as re-imagined versions of some of the world's most famous art masterpieces, like Van Gogh's Starry Night and Da Vinci's Mona Lisa, made exclusively from LEGO bricks. The exhibition also features a gallery showcasing an innovative, multimedia collection of LEGO brick-infused photography produced with award-winning photographer Dean West. 

Visitors will have the opportunity to get up-close and in-person with the fan favorite, Yellow, a life-size sculpture of a man ripping his chest open with thousands of yellow LEGO bricks cascading from the cavity. Visitors will also be able to walk under a 20-foot-long T-Rex dinosaur skeleton made out of bricks and come face-to-face with a giant LEGO skull.

"THE ART OF THE BRICK takes LEGO somewhere you wouldn't expect and shows you things you have never seen before," said artist Nathan Sawaya. "The goal with this collection of art is to demonstrate the potential of imagination and the power of creativity."

THE ART OF THE BRICK is the first major museum exhibition to use LEGO bricks as the sole art medium. Sawaya transforms LEGO bricks into tremendous and thought-provoking sculptures, elevating the toy to the realm of art. Sawaya's ability to transform this common toy into something meaningful, his devotion to spatial perfection and the way he conceptualizes action, enables him to elevate a medium almost every child has played with into the status of contemporary art.

"The Fleet is thrilled to feature an exhibition as exciting and innovative as THE ART OF THE BRICK," said Dr. Steve Snyder, CEO of the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center. "Our visitors are inquisitive at heart and driven to explore. The creative designs of THE ART OF THE BRICK can inspire young scientists and aspiring engineers in a fun and inviting way. Our hope is that this exhibition will help the Fleet empower people of all ages to connect with the wonder and creative possibilities of science."

THE ART OF THE BRICK at the Fleet Science Center will be on display from September 30, 2016, through January 29, 2017.

For more information, visit the Fleet website here: http://www.rhfleet.org/exhibitions/art-brick

Images of select pieces from THE ART OF THE BRICK are available here: http://www.rhfleet.org/press-room/images#29014

Tickets to THE ART OF THE BRICK are available here beginning July 21, 2016: https://gettickets.rhfleet.org/WebStore/shop/ViewItems.aspx?CG=AOB&C=AOB

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To schedule a media preview of THE ART OF THE BRICK, please contact Reuben H. Fleet Science Center Public Relations Manager Nathan Young at 619-685-5743 or nyoung@rhfleet.org.

Interviews can be scheduled with the Fleet's CEO, Dr. Steve Snyder, and artist Nathan Sawaya.

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ABOUT NATHAN SAWAYA & THE ART OF THE BRICK

Former NYC corporate lawyer turned contemporary artist, Nathan Sawaya is the first artist ever to take the LEGO brick into the art world as a medium. Sawaya has earned a top position in the world of contemporary art and has created a new dimension by merging Pop Art and Surrealism in awe-inspiring and groundbreaking ways. Sawaya's touring exhibition - THE ART OF THE BRICK® - has entertained and inspired millions of art lovers and enthusiasts around the world. CNN heralded, THE ART OF THE BRICK is one of the top ten "must-see exhibits in the world!" Sawaya is an author, speaker and one of the most popular, award-winning contemporary artists of our time. For more information visit www.brickartist.com.