New Bedford-Based LEGO Artists Try Out for USA's 'LEGO Masters'

When Amanda and Christian Bertram of Rochester began sharing their love for LEGOs with the community, they never expected their hobby to take them to national television, and now the opportunity is right at their fingertips.

Amanda told me that her love for building with LEGOs started eight years ago when her husband and life-long LEGO builder, Christian, introduced her to it. They began buying each other LEGO sets for special occasions, and soon, their fun hobby to pass the time became a creative outlet that they wanted to share with the rest of the world.

Amanda admitted she kept her hobby quiet for a while, but now that she is running her LEGO-inspired Instagram, her friends and family have been reaching out to share their shocked reactions.

Christian’s mother was a professional artist who frequently worked with Gallery X in New Bedford. She passed away, and now her studio on Hatch Street in New Bedford is home to Amanda and Christian’s eight-foot-by-10-foot LEGO village, and other side projects that bring LEGO to life.

The Bertrams are walking proof that Legos are not just child’s play.

“It gives you a lot of space to be creative,” Amanda said. “You don’t even have to be right; you just have to keep building and love the end result.”

Turns out, the Bertrams are not the only ones who love the end result.

After Amanda posted a Super Mario creation to Reddit, she got a personal message from a casting manager that works for the USA Network show LEGO Masters. She loved what she saw.

“We had a phone interview and then a zoom interview with another casting agent in L.A. to set up a screening video for producers,” Amanda explained. Now they anxiously await the phone call that will tell them if they will be on the show.

“We could hear back any day now,” Amanda said.

In the meantime, Amanda and Christian will continue to build their Instagram page and expand their creativity as they prepare to set up an Etsy account, which will allow fans to purchase some of their best work.