Meet some of our ChiLUG members!

I am Alysa K, a lifetime nerd. I love building LEGO art sculptures, lifesize replicas, and immersive, experimental pieces. My favorite theme is Elvendale, and I’m always on the hunt for more LEGO dragons. Outside the brickworld, you’ll probably find me in cosplay at a fantasy, sci-fi, anime, or pop culture conventions. I like to push the limits of what LEGO can do and create builds that spark wonder

I’m Rich, a lifelong nerd and software engineer. My love of LEGO began when I was child in central Illinois, but has been steadily growing since 2010 when I got the Medieval Market Village and Mill Village Raid sets. My favorite theme is Castle. I’m best known for creating and modifying medieval and fantasy-inspired MOCs.

My name is Terry E, I use my computer programming and graphics knowledge to create my
Lego models. The graphic design skill helps me to breakdown an idea into
the size and shapes of each part of the model. The logic skill helps me
deal with various decisions and issues during the build. My programming
skill allows me to include Lego PoweredUp devices and coding into my models.

   But the most enjoyable aspect is getting to share my building
techniques with others so they can learn how to build their own ideas
into their own great custom Lego models! The excitement and inquiries of
the visitors makes my day very special!

I was introduced to Lego as a child in the 2000s, saw that interest wane by the end of the decade but had it revived permanently in 2014 after a trip to Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay hotel inspired me to attempt to recreate the unique triangular building in Lego. This experience led to a fascination with architecture, which I always harbored, and started a journey to create a high-fidelity Lego city. Since then, the city has blossomed with about fifty custom buildings and a smaller number of official sets. As such, my favorite theme is probably modulars inclusive of city or structures in general although I have a soft spot for medieval castles, space and aviation, and Lord of the Rings and Star Wars. When it comes to STEAM, I have found the greatest satisfaction in the social sciences, especially history, and architecture interpreted from an artistic perspective emphasizing realistic depictions of neoclassical, baroque and modernist buildings. Other interests include reading, writing, and computer games, mostly MMORPGs. – Zak Luthin

My name is Peter M, and have been geeking out since 1977, when I first saw Star Wars in the movie theatre. Since then, my interests have been Star Wars, music, baseball, video games and LEGO. My interest in LEGO was when they started doing the Star Wars theme back in 1999, and Target would always have them on clearance. I was instantly hooked. But then as an adult, I went back to school to learn art and animation, and found out that LEGO is a great medium for 2D and 3D building. A lot of what I learned in school, still applies to my LEGO building today. I actually wanted to build a LEGO city, and attempt to do a stop motion video, but then the LEGO movie came out, and that dream faded away, but the building never stopped. Since art is part of the STEAM curriculum, it is my go to subject matter. I would like to build more MOC's based on geek culture and MLB, but when you don't have instructions to follow, not only is creativity your guide, but so is problem-solving and critical thinking. All those years I said algebra is stupid, and it will never be applied to anything in my life, LEGO proved me wrong. Thanks to technology and social media, you can get inspired by other builders, learn their building techniques, and make something great.

My name is Daniel O, I have interests that are always changing, which reflects in the builds I make, but my main interests are Pokemon and Making. I’ve been around lego since I was 5, but I didn’t really start trying to MOC build until 2006 with Bionicle, which is also one of my favorite themes alongside Ninjago! and soon to be Pokemon, but I also love the botanical collection. I’m usually building something creature or character, but i’ll build just about anything! STEAM plays a big role in my work and hobbies, and i’ve always loved every part of it’s core teachings!