Michael A. Burns\u2019 works have been shown in museums, art shows, and even the White House. In Madison, his sculptures\u2009\u200a\u2014\u2009some with a maker\u2019s mark, some without\u2009\u200a\u2014\u2009\u200aare an integral part of the city\u2019s parks and public spaces, including the UW Arboretum, Troy Community Gardens, Olbrich Botanical Gardens and Tenney Park.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoing public art means bringing everyone in on the ownership, and that is a very important aspect of that work for me,\u201d says Burns.<\/p>\n
Take \u201cUpdraft,\u201d which consists of two 20-foot-tall arches framing the bike path in Brittingham Park. The concept came from Burns\u2019 childhood memory of lying in the back of his grandfather\u2019s pickup truck and looking up at the canopy formed by the branches of elm trees lining the street.<\/p>\n
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Photo by Steve Agard<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was like going through a cathedral,\u201d says Burns. While approaching \u201cUpdraft\u201d head-on, bikers and pedestrians see an arch. But the two halves of the sculpture are set a few feet apart from each other on either side of the path, creating a sense of depth as people pass through.<\/p>\n
That installation\u2009\u2014\u2009like all public artworks\u2009\u2014\u2009was a marriage of creative vision, public input, multiple funding sources and safety requirements. While Burns continues to take on public art projects (like a recent commission for a 350-unit apartment building in Fitchburg), he\u2019s also starting to turn his attention toward more personal work.<\/p>\n
Recently, he\u2019s found inspiration and purpose in transforming scrap metal and found objects.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve repurposed things that had outlived their original function and [given them] new life,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
From the Artist: Michael A. BurnsOrigin Story<\/p>\n
I [thought] science would be my path, but I hit the wall of calculus and that was that.\u2009\u2026\u2009When I reenrolled at the University of Wisconsin\u2013Madison, I eventually found ceramics, wood and metal with three pivotal faculty members\u2009\u2014\u2009Don Reitz, Skip Johnson and Fred Fenster.<\/p>\n
Lasting Skill Set<\/p>\n
The UW Arboretum and Brittingham Park [projects]\u2009\u2014\u2009these required partners, industrial processes and skills that I hadn\u2019t realized I had. And the materials and techniques should enable them to be around for a good long while.<\/p>\n
Safety First<\/p>\n
All of the public work I do, I\u2019m really conscious that it\u2019s going to be accessible to everyone who wants to interact with it. That means considering sharp and dangerous parts. You can\u2019t keep someone from climbing something, but you can keep the sharp edges away so they don\u2019t cut themselves.<\/p>\n
A New Chapter<\/p>\n
I\u2019m scaling back the public work\u2009\u2014\u2009possibly. I\u2019m doing more stuff for me. \u201cUpdraft\u201d was my child, from beginning to end, but it had to satisfy certain requirements for safety and stability. My recent projects are different, where I\u2019m totally thinking about design and not those other factors.<\/p>\n
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![\"Michael](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/6887d6aa22c62.image.jpg\"\/)
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In addition to spending time in his studio, Burns enjoys gardening, sailing, hiking, skiing and mushroom hunting. \u201cBut I think you can [make] progress without hitting it head-on,\u201d says Burns. \u201cYou let it sit.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Michael](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/6887d6bc59311.image.jpg\"\/)
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Perhaps Burns\u2019 most recognizable local works are the three fabricated steel arches in the UW Arboretum. All three are placed at transition points, like the entrance to Longenecker Horticultural Gardens from the visitor center parking lot. \u201cThere was nothing there before, just a pathway, and they wanted to create an environment where you stepped into a space,\u201d says Burns.<\/p>\n
![\"Michael](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/6887d6b64fe6d.image.jpg\"\/)
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Each UW Arboretum arch pays tribute to native flora and fauna. The central outline of a white oak tree is an image Burns developed with Molly Fifield-Murray, who began the Wingra Oak Savanna restoration project in 1992. \u201cTalking to the staff, they wanted to emphasize important species and also commemorate the different work that\u2019s gone on in the Arboretum,\u201d says Burns.<\/p>\n
![\"Michael](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/6887d6b0211e2.image.jpg\"\/)
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\u201cIf I\u2019m going to summon up stuff using materials and fuel, putting wear and tear on my body and on my equipment, then there needs to be a reason,\u201d says Burns. Recently, he\u2019s been working with scrap metal. He has created art including works inspired by crows and a 3-foot metal column inspired by \u201cThe Little Mermaid,\u201d a bronze statue in Copenhagen, Denmark (above).<\/p>\n
![\"Michael](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/6887d6b348788.image.jpg\"\/)
\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1754797466_445_6887d6b348788.image.jpg\")
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![\"Michael](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/6887d6ad379d7.image.jpg\"\/)
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<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n In addition to spending time in his studio, Burns enjoys gardening, sailing, hiking, skiing and mushroom hunting. \u201cBut I think you can [make] progress without hitting it head-on,\u201d says Burns. \u201cYou let it sit.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Perhaps Burns\u2019 most recognizable local works are the three fabricated steel arches in the UW Arboretum. All three are placed at transition points, like the entrance to Longenecker Horticultural Gardens from the visitor center parking lot. \u201cThere was nothing there before, just a pathway, and they wanted to create an environment where you stepped into a space,\u201d says Burns.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Each UW Arboretum arch pays tribute to native flora and fauna. The central outline of a white oak tree is an image Burns developed with Molly Fifield-Murray, who began the Wingra Oak Savanna restoration project in 1992. \u201cTalking to the staff, they wanted to emphasize important species and also commemorate the different work that\u2019s gone on in the Arboretum,\u201d says Burns.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIf I\u2019m going to summon up stuff using materials and fuel, putting wear and tear on my body and on my equipment, then there needs to be a reason,\u201d says Burns. Recently, he\u2019s been working with scrap metal. He has created art including works inspired by crows and a 3-foot metal column inspired by \u201cThe Little Mermaid,\u201d a bronze statue in Copenhagen, Denmark (above).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
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