See the Future of Columbus in LEGOs

Each year, the Columbus Museum of Art asks the community to create an exhibition. Inspired by "The LEGO Movie," the theme for this year's LEGO Design Challenge is "Imagine a new Columbus." Using LEGOs, participants in four categories-children, teens, adults and groups and families-built a structure or mode of transportation they think Columbus needs. Sixteen winners' creations will be on display this month in the third annual Think Outside the Brick exhibition, Nov. 21 to Jan. 25.

"It's about making creativity accessible," says museum spokeswoman Nancy Colvin. "Maybe we don't all look at a painting and want to become painters, but this is one of the ways visitors can engage in the creative process." For Kathy Gonzalez, whose family participated in the challenge this year and last, it's about the time they spend working together. "We sort of have to learn to communicate and work as a team," Gonzalez says. "Everybody has to do even things they don't want to do, like finding a million two-piece gray pieces. But it's fun because we do it together. And sometimes [the kids are] let up past their bedtime because we're on a roll." A fan favorite from the first year of the exhibition, the Central Ohio LEGO Train Club's Columbus skyline piece, will also be on display, and visitors can make their own creations with LEGOs at the museum. columbusmuseum.org