Visiting Colby Adolphsen’s website, you’ll find this quote from Vincent Van Gogh: “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” It’s a fitting reference when you realize the primary materials for Adolphsen’s art are LEGO bricks.
Born in Rockport and raised in Appleton, Adolphsen remembers first playing with LEGO as a youngster (the mid-1990s) when his older brothers occasionally let him use their kits. Then one day, at age five or so, he walked to the downtown 5&10 to purchase his first set. The dye was cast—in the shape of small bright-colored building blocks.
Today, Adolphsen is acclaimed for his elaborate LEGO creations. These include a commissioned replica of Chris Van Dusen’s circus ship, one of the stars of the famed children’s book author’s immersive show at the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath (through March 29, 2026). He is currently finishing up a LEGO schooner inspired by the Stephen Taber out of Rockland.
The idea for this project came from a desire to build a small town with a harbor as its centerpiece.
Among Adolphsen’s most ambitious LEGO creations to date is “Harbor Town.” The idea for this project came from a desire to build a small town with a harbor as its centerpiece. The work would reflect elements of certain communities—Rockport, Camden, Damariscotta, Thomaston, Rockland, and Stonington—familiar to the builder.
Adolphsen began with a loosely sketched bird’s-eye view of the layout that included the overall size, the buildings and various landmarks. He used photographs of real places as reference to fashion some of the LEGO structures.
The most satisfying aspect of creating “Harbor Town,” Adolphsen writes, is the way each area and building complements one another “to form a cohesive scene.” The most challenging? “Trying to figure out the right compilation of buildings, scenes, and colors to add,” he says.
Adolphsen is wary in his LEGO builds of “overcrowding.” Finding just the right amount of waterfront activity was important.
The detail is astounding, from a wall of hardware store tools and a diner grill to a lobster boat in drydock. Fishermen work on the wharf, a girl walks a dog, a boy fishes off the bridge. Vintage dollhouse stickers provided the aesthetic Adolphsen wanted for the signage: “Town Talk Bread,” “Burdan’s Ice Cream,” “Princes Lobster,” etc.
Adolphsen won a prize for “Harbor Town” at 2024 BrickUniverse in Portland. The piece will be on display at the Brick Store Museum in Kennebunk, Aug. 2-Nov. 9. The exhibition, “Art of BRICK: LEGO Buildings Installation,” features his latest creation, a model of the museum itself.
When he isn’t creating LEGO models, Adolphsen is a data analysist at Pen Bay Medical Center in Rockport. He holds a BS in biology from the University of Maine and an MBA from Husson University.
Adolphsen and his wife Samantha’s two sons, ages 6 and 3, are “huge” LEGO fans. He is sure the baby girl who recently joined the family will be a builder too.
More of Adolphsen’s work can be found at colbyadolphsen.com where you can also tour “Harbor Town.” His LEGO replicas of the Camden Public Library and the Woodlawn Museum in Ellsworth can be viewed at those venues.
Carl Little curated “Quarries: Muse and Material” on view at the Monson Arts Gallery through Nov. 1.
All in all it’s just a…
The “Alt Acadia National Park” Facebook page recently drew on LEGO to make a point to Junior Rangers about participation:
“Junior Rangers, one of the most common questions we get from you is ‘How can I help? What can I do against (gestures around) all of this? I’m only one person.’ And variations of this theme.
“A quick experiment for you. Go out to the store and buy a set of LEGOS. Drop one on the floor, preferably in a high traffic area of your house, and forget about it. The inevitable will happen, and you will eventually step on it. How do you feel about the power of that one Lego brick? It’s only one brick.
“We are all one person, but we are not powerless. Make those calls to your representatives, support the politicians and activist groups that are fighting the good fight. Make a witty sign and place it outside or carry it in a protest rally. Activate yourself. Activate your friends and family. We are all one person, but we are not powerless.
“Another nice thing about LEGO bricks is that you can stack them, build with them. Create something more than the sum of their parts. One becomes two becomes three becomes 70,000-plus Junior Rangers moving together, empowering each other, and making a difference. We’ll be here with you all the way, building a better future. One LEGO brick at a time.”
