ART! Lego art Installation of Sean Kenney at Green Animals

Sean Kenney’s Nature Connects Made with LEGO® Bricks, an award-winning and record-breaking exhibition that uses beautiful works of art made from simple toy blocks to explore animal endangerment, the balance of ecosystems, and mankind’s relationship with nature, is coming to Green Animals Topiary Garden from May 26 through September 10.

A total of 14 sculptures will be exhibited at Green Animals, which is in Portsmouth, R.I. Sean Kenney’s Bonsai Tree will be displayed inside the Welcome Center at The Breakers in Newport.

“We are so excited to bring this exhibition to Rhode Island this summer,” said Trudy Coxe, CEO and Executive Director of The Preservation Society of Newport County, which owns the topiary garden. “This is the only northeastern location for Nature Connects in 2023, and we know Green Animals will provide the perfect backdrop for an exhibition that explores so many aspects of the natural world. We cannot wait to see how visitors react to these remarkable and unique displays.”

Produced by Imagine Exhibitions, Nature Connects depicts important topics that the New York artist, Sean Kenney, holds dear, from protecting an animals’ habitat, to planting a garden, or using a bike instead of a car.

Nature Connects further shows that just as LEGO pieces interconnect, everything in nature is interconnected in a delicate balance. The narratives, along with the intricate displays, also explore the importance of conservation, the balance of ecosystems, predator/prey relationships, and the relationships between humankind and the natural world. The exhibition allows visitors to appreciate both nature and the sculptures as something beautiful, and inspires them to go home and create something wonderful themselves.

Tom Zaller, CEO of Imagine Exhibitions, said: “Imagine Exhibitions is proud to partner with Sean Kenney to bring the creative vision of Nature Connects to Green Animals Topiary Garden. The messages in the exhibition about our connection to nature are beautifully presented and effectively weaved into the story in the hopes of inspiring visitors to think more about mankind’s impact on the greater world around us.”

Green Animals will be closed May 22-25 to accommodate setup. The exhibition is scheduled to open May 26. Come explore the beauty and wonder of Sean Kenney’s Nature Connects Made with LEGO® Bricks, open daily to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for a limited engagement through September 10. Tickets are available at https://www.newportmansions.org/events/sean-kenneys-nature-connects/

Sponsors for this exhibition include Carol & David Bazarsky, BankNewport, National Trust Insurance Services, Discover Newport, Casey’s Oil & Propane, Donovan & Sons, Inc., Grande Masonry, T.J. Brown Landscape Contractor, Inc., Charter Books, Dr. Brian Melzian and Shamrock Electric.

About Green Animals

The oldest and most northern topiary garden in the United States features more than 80 topiaries in the shape of animals and geometric designs, boasts more than 35 formal flowerbeds, geometric pathways, arbors, fruit trees, and vegetable and herb gardens. Home to an array of flowering bulbs, perennials, annuals and shrubs that bloom colorfully throughout the spring, summer and fall, Green Animals is also one of just 28 official Daffodil Display Gardens in the United States – one of only three in New England – showcasing more than 22,000 daffodils in 70 varieties representing 13 divisions and 19 color codes. Thirty-seven thousand tulips contribute more color in the spring.

About Imagine Exhibitions

Imagine Exhibitions is currently producing over 40 unique exhibitions globally in museums, science centers, zoos, integrated resorts, and non-traditional venues, with millions of people around the world visiting its exhibitions each year. In addition to developing successful traveling exhibitions, Imagine Exhibitions designs, opens, and operates permanent installations and venues, and consults on building, expanding, and directing museums and attractions. With decades of diverse experience in the museum and entertainment industries, Imagine Exhibitions consistently develops exhibitions that educate and excite while exceeding attendance goals. For more information, visit www.ImagineExhibitions.com or find them on Facebook.

About Sean Kenney
Sean Kenney is an award-winning artist who uses LEGO pieces as a medium for contemporary sculpture, portraiture, and commercial art.  He is recognized as one of the leading experts in the field and is a founding member of several global programs that aim to encourage and support this emerging art form.  Millions of people have visited his exhibitions, he has authored 9 children’s books, and The LEGO Group collaborated with him as an official partner for 14 years.  Sean’s work has been acclaimed by The New York Times, PBS Arts, BBC Arts, and Vogue, and he continues to create every day at his studio in Amsterdam.  www.seankenney.com

The Preservation Society of Newport County, Rhode Island, is a nonprofit organization accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and dedicated to preserving and interpreting the area’s historic architecture, landscapes, decorative arts and social history. Its 11 historic properties – seven of them National Historic Landmarks – span more than 250 years of American architectural and social development.