July 24 – September 15, 2026

Opening Reception: Friday, July 24, 5:00 - 7:00 PM

The Burnbox Circus is constructed mostly from wood scraps left in the burn box by my husband, Rob, who is learning to turn wood. As a pyrographer, I am always on the lookout for surfaces to burn on and these odd little pieces inspired me to create figures. They morphed into circus performers by dint of being oddly shaped and childlike. As I created each piece, I made up stories about each character. This informed my choices and influenced how I put each piece together. I used found objects, fabric scrap, kombucha leather, aluminum wire and scrap, antique drawers and letter boxes and more. Each piece comes with its own story and there is also a souvenir booklet of the exhibit with all the performers and their stories.

ARTIST STATEMENT​

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The world is our circus and we all create our own acts through our experiences. Some of them are born of luck, some of tragedy and some of just making-do. We do the hard work of cobbling it all together to become who we are. Each of us are unique as each act in the Burnbox Circus.

- Ellen Adamson​