Mercer Island Center for the Arts (MICA) launches summer program in collaboration with Renowned Lego Artist Alice Finch and MIHS Eagle Scout candidate Connor Hill
With the understanding that a community is the product of its interlocking pieces, MICA has partnered with educator, Islander, and Lego artist, Alice Finch, and Eagle Scout Candidate and MIHS student, Connor Hill, for its summer 2016 programs.
The design of the future Arts Center situated in Mercerdale Park will be represented in a Lego model for all to visit and explore and a play area where everyone is invited to create their own art out of Lego bricks. MICA is sponsoring many summer arts programs and will unveil the Brick by Brick: Building MICA Together booth with the Lego model and play area at Summer Celebration. The Brick by Brick: Building MICA Together booth will also be at Pianos in the Park, Mostly Music in the Park, Mercer Island Farmers Market, and other summer events.
The Brick by Brick: Building MICA Together booth will debut at Summer Celebration on Saturday, July 9 at 10 am after the Summer Celebration Parade. Visitors are invited to interact with MICA in multiple ways: explore the special Lego model to see how the future Center for the Arts fits perfectly to be a year-round-gathering place for all; create new art in the Lego play area; share in the visioning for future programs with My MICA is….sticky note board; and show support by becoming a Friend of MICA.
MICA’s partners in the project are two examples of the multi-talented community members who live on Mercer Island. Alice Finch started building with LEGO again when her older son needed a building companion. A former award-winning middle-school teacher, Finch realized that building isn’t just for little kids – it’s creative, inspiring, and incredibly fun for big kids too. Her first model was Hogwarts Castle, which accidentally grew to be 400,000 bricks big.
In her LEGO room, in her home on Mercer Island, she continues to spend time with her two young sons and to build ridiculously huge models out of little bricks. Her work has been published in many books and she is a featured builder in the documentary, A LEGO Brickumentary.
Understanding that creating with LEGO bricks is fun for all ages, MICA created a Build with Us brick play area with the leadership and coordination of MIHS student Connor Hill for his Eagle Scout project. Hill is a member of Mercer Island Boy Scout Troop #647 and decided to do his project for the Mercer Island Center for the Arts. Connor described the project is his Eagle Scout project application as “The LEGO model of the future MICA building will promote MICA and get the Mercer Island community excited about its future building. The work that I will be doing is important because it complements the model and gives kids a place to demonstrate their creativity while their parents might ask MICA representatives questions.”
Mercer Island Center for the Arts is a nonprofit community venture, working closely with the city, resident arts organizations, and individual community members to create the future Center for the Arts on Mercer Island. MICA has created several resources to provide detailed information and updates on the conception and planning for the Center for the Arts. These informational materials, MICA board members and staff will be on hand at the Brick by Brick: Building MICA Together booth at summer events. Readers can also obtain information on frequently asked questions by visiting MercerIslandArts.org/FAQ, emailing [email protected] or by visiting the MICA office at 7710 SE 29th St.
Details about all the summer arts events can be found on the Mercer Island Arts Calendar, online at MercerIslandArts.org/Calendar, one of the community resources MICA is providing before the Center is constructed.
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Photo LEGO artist, Alice Finch
Photo MIHS student and Mercer Island Boy Scout Troop 647 Eagle Scout Candidate, Connor Hill
[PRESS RELEASE]
