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The kit that allowed her to create the Addams Family house was fun, but Ruth Lilly Law Library Director Miriam Murphy wanted to take it further. A LEGO “Beyond the Brick” video showcases Murphy’s creativity with her Addams Family city. In the photo (top) is a LEGO city in winter Murphy brought in to share with the law school community in 2017. The lower photo shows part of the winter scene in detail.

The Addams Family needed a cemetery, and once that was in place, the fun just kept going. The video on the LEGO “Beyond the Brick” YouTube channel showcases everything Murphy added to the house, including the cemetery and the swamp that fans of the television show may remember as being near the family’s home. Murphy added a carnival, forest, park, neighborhood full of Victorian houses, and a sea with several ships and a visiting Loch Ness monster. And she’s not done! In the video, Murphy said she has plans for even more expansion to her Addams Family city.

Murphy had LEGO bricks as a child but rediscovered them after a trip to Frank Lloyd Wright’s house, Falling Water. She purchased a LEGO model of the house, built it, loved it, and her interest grew from there. She’s now a member of IndyLUG, the Indianapolis LEGO User Group, and started a LEGO event in 2020 which is an annual charity fundraiser for ICAN, the Indiana Canine Assistance Network. ICAN is one of the groups that brings therapy pets to the law school for the exam stress relief events for students. “I view it as a way to thank ICAN for their service while also having fun,” Murphy said.

Murphy has brought in some of her smaller LEGO-themed displays during exam stress relief events, Halloween, or prior to the winter holidays. She also led a LEGO teamwork building workshop at the Staff Council Conference in 2019 for their “BUILD!” program.

“I find building with LEGO bricks a soothing ‘stress-relief’ activity and a creative outlet,” Murphy said.

Murphy is Director of the Ruth Lilly Law Library and Senior Lecturer in Law, where she teaches legal analysis, research and communication; legal research; advanced legal research, and law librarianship.