This past weekend multiple VLC members made the trek down to Seattle for their LEGO convention, Brickcon. With hundreds of builds VLC members won multiple awards including:

Allan – Safari
Allan – Let’s Take a Hike
Derek – The Spirit of Chrirstmas
Paul – Small World

In preparation of our upcoming “Everything is Still Awesome” Fall Exhibit with the Museum of Surrey, we are partnering with the Museum for for A “LEGO Creation Contest & Museum of Surrey Show and Share Display!”

Children are invited to build a LEGO® creation and have it displayed at the Museum of Surrey!

Details:

*Contest will take place between Sep 1-Sep 22 at midnight.
*Ages categories are: 4-8 years old, 9-12 years old, and 13-17 years old.
* Selected LEGO® creations will be exhibited in Museum of Surrey’s Show and Share display from October 10 – December 22, 2023.

For more information and to view the rules and regulations for the contest please visit here

Come see the the VLC this weekend at Family Farm Day at the London Farm in Steveston on Sunday, August 13 from 11am to 4pm.

Enjoy a wide array of activities for all ages, including heritage exhibits, LEGO building, kids’ wood-shop projects, live music and entertainment, pony rides, a rabbit petting area, raptor displays, and more!

For more information of Family Farm days and ticket information visit here.

This past weekend the VLC attended the 4 day Cloverdale Rodeo and County Fair. This event saw builders from both VLC and the Fraser Valley LUG come together and display an almost 500 baseplate town and train layout!

We also had a variety of Great Ball Contraptions, as well as a variety of other builds on display and also playbrick for kids to build their own inventive creation!

We hope to see everyone again at the Rodeo next year!

Earlier this month, May 13 and 14th, 5 members of the VLC attended Bricks Cascade in Portland. In the weekend there we delivered countless Battle Bricks fights, Great Ball Contraptions, and other fantastic mocs.

Awards categories/winners:

1. In Pop Culture for “Lavishly Large” = Neil Snowball for Hill Valley Courthouse
2. In Planes, Trains & Automobiles for “Wonderful Workhorse” = Will Fong for BC Rail.
3. In Post-Apocalyptic “Honorable Mention” = Joanne Snowball for Apoc-o-licious Dream Bunker.

This long weekend, May 19 – 22nd, the VLC will be at the Cloverdale Rodeo. come check out the fair and don’t forget to come see the VLC who will be having a HUGE town and train setup.

The Bricktacular West Coast Modern Show: Paul Hetherington

May 5 to July 31, 2023

Main Hall, West Vancouver Memorial Library

Opening Reception: Friday, May 5, 2023 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

About the Exhibition

The models featured in this exhibition are made from a material that many of us will recognize. Building blocks that usually come in sets with complex instructions that culminate in all sorts of architectural wonders, imagined or real. Less familiar here will be the houses on which these particular models are based.

The artist, Paul Hetherington, has visited each of the buildings depicted in this exhibition, and using the standard building blocks available, recreated them, incorporating their surrounding landscapes, furniture, and even, art. Instead of step-by-step instructions, he has consulted original architectural plans and historical photographs in order to better incorporate all of their unique features. All but one of the original buildings are in West Vancouver and they each represent an important part of the history of design in the local community. With its steep terrain and ocean-fronted cliffs setting unusual challenges, architects have built extraordinary homes here. These homes are considered to have been created as a part of the design movement commonly called “West Coast Modern”. They were designed between 1941 and 1981, and despite their unusual qualities, also share common features, such as a desire to bring the outdoors in, to challenge the materials used in construction, and to situate the building appropriately on each site.

The West Vancouver Art Museum, who are co-presenting this exhibition with the West Vancouver Memorial Library, where it will be shown, has long been a champion of West Coast Modern design through its exhibitions, publications and public programs. While the medium utilised here may be playful, the primary objective of this project is a serious one. The West Coast Modern history of residential design encapsulated in West Vancouver is an important community legacy that should be celebrated and, where possible, preserved.

About the Artist

Paul Hetherington is an award-winning artist, whose creations are known around the world. He has a recognizable style that uses visual cues, artful building techniques, and a masterful use of color to tell stories in his creations. His creations have been featured in multiple books, magazines, news stories, and online blogs. In 2019, Hetherington was invited to display his work in the LEGO House Masterpiece Gallery in Billund. His creation “We Built This City” was on display there from 2019 until 2021. He grew up in West Vancouver and lives currently in North Vancouver.

A publication will be available with contributions by Paul Hetherington, Douglas Coupland, and Nathan Sawaya.

April 22nd and 23rd saw the much anticipated return of Brickcan, after its 3 year hiatus hundreds of builders and thousands of public attendees. This even drew builders from all over North America and saw hundreds of creations on display.

VLC Award Winners

Various VLC members won game competitions with one even winning a theme award!

-Best Microscale Building: Joel
-Green Speed Build: Joel
-Soccer Tournament: Joel
-Master Build: Dave D
-Team Speed Build: Andrew D, Dave D, Daveed, Derek, Keith, Kyler
-Elite Speed Build: Derek
-Parts Pursuit: Derek

VLCs Choice
This year VLC sponsored an award for a truly spectacular build that wowed our members. This year Wizards Tower by Nicholas Johnson was chosen due to the fantastic use of colours in an extremely detailed build.

Interested in more?

Did you visit Brickcan for the first time and are interested in joining a local LEGO fan community? Click here to learn more about joining the VLC.

Don’t forget to visit the VLC during the Cloverdale Rodeo May 19th to 22nd.

Interview by ET

ET: How did you come up with the idea for building this Rabbit Great Ball Contraption (GBC)?

Snowy: It started with a PAB cup of carrots from the PAB wall, and me looking to build my first GBC, a conveyor belt style module. I was experimenting with peg styles on the conveyor belt, and stumbled upon the carrots as pegs. I ended up rebuilding the module at least five times since I first built it in 2019, before the design settled on the current one. It’s now one of my most stable and reliable GBC modules.

ET: Has this build won any awards?

Snowy: I’ve been very lucky to have won a number of awards with this GBC. these are:

1. Bricks LA 2021: outstanding Ball Contraption
2. Bricks By the Bay 2021: Best GBC, & Best in Show
3. Bricks Cascade 2022: Best Mover
4. BrickSlopes 2022: Best GBC & Technic
5. BrickCon 2022: On the Ball

ET: Is there anything you would do to change or alter this GBC?

Snowy: At this point, no, it’s working well. Though I’m always ready for it to surprise me with a new failure mode.

If you want to see this Great Ball Contraption in action visit Brickcan or follow Snowy on Instagram or Youtube.