FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Sunday, September 9, 2007
CONTACT:
Ann Marie Walker, Marketing Manager
(815) 963-6769, ext. 2832

“The Art of the Brick” LEGO® exhibition

“The Art of the Brick” LEGO® exhibition
at Discovery Center Museum closes September 9

ROCKFORD, Ill. –If you are one of the few people who haven’t seen The Art of the Brick this summer at Discovery Center Museum, now is your last chance. The exhibition closes September 9.

As a result of the wildly popular exhibition comprised entirely of LEGO blocks, Discovery Center has enjoyed a wealth of national and international press and a significant increase in attendance and web traffic this summer. General public attendance was up 32% in June and 8% in July as compared to 2006 figures. Visitors from virtually every state (including Alaska and Hawaii) and several foreign countries descended on Rockford and Discovery Center to witness the LEGO creations. Reporters from Poland and Australia visited Rockford to do stories on the exhibit.

The Art of the Brick is the first exhibition of its kind in the United States, and Rockford is only its second venue. This whimsical and awe-inspiring exhibition comprised of one million LEGO blocks is the creation of artist Nathan Sawaya. Pieces include portraits of Lindsay Lohan; three-dimensional men rising up out of piles of Lego blocks; a globe; a giant sunflower, hand and Monopoly board; and even a tribute to John Lennon’s “Imagine,” to name a few.

Sawaya recently presented Stephen Cobert with a life size replica of the talk show host during his show - The Cobert Report. Sawaya can build anything…and always from traditional square and rectangular LEGO bricks.

The Art of the Brick is sponsored locally by William Charles, Ltd. and is included with Museum admission. For more information on Sawaya, log on to www.brickartist.com.

Discovery Center Museum is a non-profit science and children’s museum with over 200 hands-on exhibits, planetarium, special area for children under 6, and an outdoor science park. For additional information, the public is encouraged to call Discovery Center at (815) 963-6769 or visit the Museum’s web site at www.discoverycentermuseum.org. Discovery Center Museum, the nation’s Fourth Best Children’s Museum as cited by Child magazine, is located inside Riverfront Museum Park at 711 North Main Street, Rockford, Ill. General admission to the Museum is $5 adults, $4 children (ages 2 to 17) and free to children under 2 years and Museum members. Hours of operation are: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday; and Noon to 5 p.m., Sunday. From Memorial Day through Labor Day, the Museum is open extended hours on Thursdays until 7 p.m.

*** MEDIA USE ONLY ***

For additional information or to make media arrangements, please contact Ann Marie Walker, marketing manager, at (815) 963-6769, ext. 2832 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., weekdays.
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For additional information, the public is encouraged to call Discovery Center at (815) 963-6769 or visit the Museum’s web site at www.discoverycentermuseum.org. Discovery Center Museum, one of the Nation’s 10 Best Children’s Museums as cited by Child magazine, is located inside Riverfront Museum Park at 711 North Main Street, Rockford, Ill. General admission to the Museum is $5 adults, $4 children (ages 2 to 17) and free to children under 2 years and Museum members. Hours of operation are: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday; Thursday until 7p.m. (summer only); and Noon to 5 p.m., Sunday.