Omaha’s Lauritzen Gardens has brought the once mismatched combination of gardens and winter together with the introduction of a childhood staple.

Through May 19, the botanical gardens, located at 100 Bancroft St., will feature the indoor exhibit, “Nature Connects.”

Students may wonder if it’s worth spending their free time looking at plants, but these larger-than-life sculptures, made entirely out of LEGO® pieces, are sure to bring out the inner child in everyone.

“I think these art pieces are more likely to attract the student crowd than any other exhibits that we feature,” Mia Jenkins, Lauritzen’s director of marketing, said. “It’s also perfect timing to feature this art because most people don’t necessarily think about coming to the gardens during the winter.”

Sean Kenney, one of only 13 worldwide LEGO® certified professionals, has chosen to display his 27 unique masterpieces to serve not only as visually stimulating art, but also as a fun way for visitors to learn. He chose to use the familiar toy as his art medium in order to connect with the childhood of every visitor through each of his pieces. The colorful sculptures, ranging from a goldfinch made of 575 pieces to a 45,143 piece bison, bring the garden to life.

“I like to think of it as a botanical art gallery,” Jenkins said. “Kenney’s sculptures act as the art and the plants serve as the perfect backdrop.”

Each individual sculpture is accompanied by a caption of how, like the connections made between each of the 500,000 LEGO® pieces used, nature’s living things make up an interconnected network. Messages of humans’ impact on the planet and the importance of maintaining healthy and balanced populations are ones that both young and old alike are sure to benefit from.

“This would be an interesting exhibit for students to visit,” Business sophomore and Lauritzen Garden veteran Rachel Zaborowski said. “They can learn to appreciate the outdoors while being indoors and can gain a better

understanding of the beauty of nature as a whole.”

So for those who think they have what it takes to become the world’s fourteenth LEGO® Certified Professional, here is the perfect opportunity to show off their skills. Lauritzen Gardens is hosting a LEGO® sculpture invitational March 17 from 1-4 p.m. This event is open to the young and those young at heart. Adults participating in the event will not only get the chance to show Omaha their creativity, but will also be given one complimentary pass to the gardens on the day of the exhibit.

These garden-inspired “Nature Connects” sculptures of bumblebees and butterflies, flowers and foxes, are sure to leave you speechless. Whether this loss for words is caused by the mere size of the sculptures or perhaps a new sense of connection with nature is up to you.

“I think this would give students and any visitors an appreciation for nature and art, while being able to explore Omaha and all it has to offer at the same time,” Creighton senior Meg Cunningham said.