It's all about LEGOs here
Once those little colorful interlocking plastic bricks take hold of you, it's clearly hard to Lego.
John Gerlach and Stein Settergren traveled from the Twin Cities to Wheeling to showcase their creations for the second-annual Brickworld conference for LEGO builders. For them, it was love at first LEGO.
"I've been playing with them for over 40 years," Gerlach said. "Why stop now?"
The Danish toy is the star of Brickworld, the largest event of its kind in the Midwest.
LEGO aficionados from around the world have gathered at Wheeling's Westin Chicago North Shore, 601 N. Milwaukee Ave. On Friday, they continued setting up their displays.
Today and Sunday, the public is invited to peruse the two hotel conference rooms filled with the elaborate LEGO structures. It costs $12, or $8 for children under 10. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
Using trailers, people packed up their LEGO inventions and brought them to Wheeling. Some are busy building theirs from scratch at the event.
Brian Darrow, of the Indianapolis area, is showcasing a massive yellow-and-black space metropolis. It usually stays at home.
"I have a very understanding wife," he joked.
Brickworld coordinator Bryan Bonahoom, who's also from the Indianapolis area, thinks the popularity of LEGO lies in its versatility. It's better than a sculpture or painting because it's easy to change without wrecking the whole thing, he said.
"LEGO is really a different medium for artists," Bonahoom said. "You see all sorts of artistic expressions in here."
Chicago's iconic Marina Towers are here, standing in the shadow of the Burj Dubai tower and the Sears Tower.
Adam Reed Tucker, the event's founder from Northbrook, built the scale models from LEGO blocks.
A few years ago, the architect started building skyscrapers from LEGO bricks. By doing so, he hoped to eliminate the fear and intimidation of towering buildings that he says lingered after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
"I got this idea of using the LEGO brick as a medium to raise awareness about architecture," Tucker said. "I'm not just an adult playing with LEGOs."
The fun is in the details in these LEGO creations.
Near the train tracks of the Northern Illinois Lego Train Club's exhibit is an accident scene. Two trucks have collided and police officers are on the scene.
Look a wee bit closer, and you'll find it's Krispy Kreme and Dunkin' Donuts trucks that have collided so the police are standing around enjoying the spillage of doughnuts and coffee.
Jamie LeBlanc, the Northern Illinois Lego Train Club president who began collecting the blocks in 1974, enjoys that Brickworld gives LEGO fans a chance to check out each other's work.
"I think there's an admiration for someone who comes up with something unique," the Virgil resident said.