by Katie Gill
Disability-rights advocate Scott Crawford has created an elaborate world in his Keep Building Jackson LEGO display. Photo courtesy Imani Khayyam
For some people, it has practically become a Jackson tradition: At some point in December, they head downtown and check out Keep Building Jackson, also known as LEGO Jackson. Now in its seventh year, Keep Building Jackson fuses well-known Jackson landmarks such as Fondren Corner and the Mississippi State Fair with more fantastical aspects such as dragons and Marvel's S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier.
Keep Building Jackson is the brainchild of Scott Crawford, and it's his hobby—for his day job, he volunteers as a disability-rights advocate, with a special focus on Americans With Disabilities Act compliance. But what started out as a simple hobby has become something larger, now spanning 20 tables. The Greater Jackson Arts Council partially funds Keep Building Jackson, though Crawford says, "(It) is still a lot of out-of-pocket costs."
This December, Keep Building Jackson will add Greyhound buses, rebuilt JATRAN buses and Union Station to the display.
"I try to pick architecturally interesting and historical buildings, beautiful buildings all around Jackson," Crawford says.
Union Station consists of around 25,000 to 30,000 bricks and will feature a motorized Amtrak train that travels around the city.
Both the newly rebuilt JATRAN buses and Union Station's Greyhound buses feature logo decals that Crawford designed, sized, printed and cut out himself.
While he tries to recreate Jackson buildings as faithfully as possible, Crawford's Jackson represents an idealized version of the city. It has rooftop gardens, a mountain-bike park and bicycle-friendly communities. Crawford takes great pains to use African American LEGOs in addition to the default yellow heads, which presents a challenge, as only the yellow heads can be ordered in bulk from the LEGO website.
For Crawford, LEGO diversity is paramount. "I want kids to say, 'That might be me.' It's about owning the city and saying, 'Wow, we really do have some cool things in Jackson. It's worth saving,'" he says.
Keep Building Jackson shows at the Arts Center of Mississippi (201 E. Pascagoula St., 601.960.1500) from Dec. 3, 2016, to Jan. 13, 2017. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is free admission.
For more information, find Keep Building Jackson on Facebook.
This December, Keep Building Jackson will add Greyhound buses, rebuilt JATRAN buses and Union Station to the display.
"I try to pick architecturally interesting and historical buildings, beautiful buildings all around Jackson," Crawford says.
Union Station consists of around 25,000 to 30,000 bricks and will feature a motorized Amtrak train that travels around the city.
Both the newly rebuilt JATRAN buses and Union Station's Greyhound buses feature logo decals that Crawford designed, sized, printed and cut out himself.
While he tries to recreate Jackson buildings as faithfully as possible, Crawford's Jackson represents an idealized version of the city. It has rooftop gardens, a mountain-bike park and bicycle-friendly communities. Crawford takes great pains to use African American LEGOs in addition to the default yellow heads, which presents a challenge, as only the yellow heads can be ordered in bulk from the LEGO website.
For Crawford, LEGO diversity is paramount. "I want kids to say, 'That might be me.' It's about owning the city and saying, 'Wow, we really do have some cool things in Jackson. It's worth saving,'" he says.
Keep Building Jackson shows at the Arts Center of Mississippi (201 E. Pascagoula St., 601.960.1500) from Dec. 3, 2016, to Jan. 13, 2017. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is free admission.
For more information, find Keep Building Jackson on Facebook.
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