Building blocks to community: Lego Brick Convention in Albuquerque

Robert Perez loves Lego. He, like many other Lego fans, had an affinity for them as a child and as he grew older, his love of Lego grew.

When Perez was returning from a Lego brick convention in California, he shared his dream of having a dedicated Lego event for AFOLS (adult fans of Lego) in New Mexico with his son.

“There weren’t enough spaces for adults,” Perez said. “I was in the Lego community and there were other people like me who loved Lego but didn’t feel like there was a space for them. The closest place for something like this is in Colorado or Texas.”

Perez also noticed that people who weren’t Lego builders found themselves interested in the brick creations. He tested out public appeal at various conventions, including Comic Con, and found it was a hit among the community, both children and adults alike.

Now, Perez is the organizer of what he says is the first Albuquerque Brick Convention, all centered around Lego. The event takes place Saturday and Sunday at Balloon Fiesta Park.

It will feature hand-built custom Lego designs created by builders across New Mexico. Some of the builds include an 8-foot, 40,000-piece ship, castles, villages, recreations of popular TV shows like “Miami Vice” and “Breaking Bad” and collaboration pieces.

More than 25 builders with varying skill levels will compete in a contest for best build or the people’s choice award. Prizes are Lego sets. The only guideline to display is that the build falls under Lego categories. Some categories include city, adventure and friends. Builds can take anywhere from 40 hours to months to complete.

“We’re not about the money; we’re about the bricks,” Perez said.

Anne Russell and Kelly Whittemore are two builders who will be competing in the build competition. The two have known each other for a long time and have been building custom Lego creations for even longer. The pair will feature a collaboration with another Lego builder.

“When you’re a builder, you want to go bigger and better with every creation, but there are limitations to it,” Russell said. “It takes a lot of planning, figuring out how you want to make the build, finding the right dimensions of the build. Lego people tend to get into the specifics of each brick to make sure we have the right details for our build.”

Though Russell has been working with Lego for roughly nine years, she said in the Lego world, she would consider herself an intermediate builder.

“Every build you learn something along the way that you can bring in your next build,” she said. “I’m constantly learning and discovering new techniques. Creativity is a huge part of the process, and as an artist, I can say that Lego at this level are an art form.”

For Whittemore, her love of Lego was reintroduced when her son brought her to the New Mexico Lego User Group, where many of the other Lego builders met each other.

“I went for him, but I realized how much fun I was having,” she said. “I really enjoyed the comradery with others and the community is very welcoming. It’s also a great way to get out.”

“I wish there were shows like this when I was a kid,” Russell said. “I think I wouldn’t have taken a break from Lego if I would have had a community like this when I was younger, so I’m happy there’s one for us now.”

Children will also have the chance to show off their Lego creations. Children from the University of New Mexico and Presbyterian hospital cancer wards were gifted Lego, so they also had the opportunity to unveil their creations.

“The convention is centered around adults, but kids are the future of Lego, so I want to give them a space to work on their creations and show their projects off,” Perez said.

Other activities at the event include Lego portrait walls for photos, guessing the amount of Lego in a jar to win a prize, vendors selling Lego-themed accessories and a “Pit of Bricks,” where children can play with the pieces.

“This is something new and unique to do in Albuquerque with a different art style,” Perez said. “It’s all about imagination, that’s what Lego is. Open yourself up to a new world and explore something different. Lego aren’t just a toy, they’re a way for people of all ages to join together and enjoy something.”