In October 2012, Seattle hosted the 10th anniversary of BrickCon, a public, interactive exhibition that brings together adult LEGO fans and hobbyists. Among the attendees was Scripps alumna Alice Finch ’96, who unveiled what is perhaps the largest LEGO structure ever built by an individual—a replica of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series.
In an interview for the LEGO-aficionados blog The Brother’s Brick, Finch, an art teacher, amateur musician, and mother of two, recalls having had a penchant for building as a child. Watching her oldest son play with LEGOs rekindled her interest.
“He was doing the building; I was doing the sorting and putting away,” she remembers. “After a while, I realized I really wanted to build too…. We were spending time together doing something creative, learning techniques, and sharing ideas in a very productive way. Although I didn’t really think about it at the time, I was showing him that moms can be pretty darn good at putting bricks together too.”
After finding success with her Hogwarts School replica, the Seattle native continued to build expansive LEGO renditions of both fictional and real-world places, such as the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. Her most recent work, a collaboration with fellow builder David Frank from 2013, is of J. R. R. Tolkien’s fantasy realm Rivendell.
While Finch’s LEGO structures are impressive in and of themselves, it is also notable that she is one of only a few women in the LEGO-building community. In a recent interview with ParentMap, Finch laments LEGO’s traditionally male-centric marketing.
“LEGO has targeted their products toward boys, and boys grow up to be men,” observes Finch. “Only recently have they been creating products that are highly attractive to girls as well. I’m hoping this will over time even out, because we’re certainly as capable and imaginative and creative…. The more visible women builders are, the more we can inspire girls to build.”
In Beyond the Brick: A LEGO Brickumentary (2014), a documentary on LEGO building that will debut in theaters on July 31, Finch is lauded as a master builder within the community. Though her work with LEGOs began as a fun activity to share with her sons, it has grown into an international phenomenon, cementing her reputation as a leading LEGO builder. Finch’s award-winning Hogwarts replica resides in her own house, where her two sons continue to explore the detailed LEGO world she created.
