2025 Featured Artist
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Brian Marshall, creates the Adoptabots sculptures, mostly robots and fish, from found and re-purposed materials. |
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Born and raised in Delaware, Brian Marshall is a middle school teacher by day and a mad scientist by night as he cobbles together found object robots and fish like a modern day Dr. Frankenstein of junk. His passion for making began with childhood adventures at garage sales with his mom and tinkering in the garage with his dad. Initially, he started building clocks, lamps, and furniture, but everything changed when he turned a teapot upside down, envisioning its spout as a nose and its lid as a mouth. Since then, vintage items from flea markets, yard sales, and the metal recycler are collected, organized, and then carefully selected and combined like the parts of a puzzle.
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While the adventure to find materials is a joy in and of itself, the real thrill comes when viewers both young and old pause and are drawn into his world as the quirky characters come into view. Brian's smile widens as they share memories of using similar items long ago or compete to see who can identify the original purpose of each part first. By repurposing found materials, Brian aims to breathe new life into the mundane and overlooked, and pay homage to the engineers and the beauty they create but is so often hidden inside everyday devices. |
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While Brian does not create sculptures to take a critical look at social, political, or cultural issues, he does want viewers to take away more than just the physical beauty of the work. Brian wants viewers to experience nostalgia and curiosity. And by giving a second chance to forgotten objects, Brian hopes to inspire others to look at the world with a sense of wonder and possibility where items can be transformed through innovation and creativity to live long beyond their expected usefulness.
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Brandywine Arts festival was one of the first art shows Brian ever did even before Barry Shlecker took over thr festival. He hasn’t missed a year since he started and have many collectors that come back year after year to adopt new friends. While Brian started with lamps, clock, chandeliers and other function pieces, robots and now fish are a much more appealing subject for him to explore his creative side. Brian has been a teacher since 1999 in the Unionville School District. His artwork, which started out at as a hobby many years ago, is now his second job. When Brian retires, in a few years, he hopes to be able to devote more time to art and travel to shows around the country.
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For more information about our featured artist,
please visit his website: Adoptabot: Brian Marshall or Instagram: Brian Marshall (@adoptabot) |
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Fun facts:
*Brian didn’t get started as an artist until he was in his early 30’s!
*He has had some pretty incredible experiences creating artwork for others. Xbox contracted Brian and other artists to help them promote a game called Recore where they used the artistic medium to create a version of one of the characters from the game.
*Zoe Saldana, Gamora from Guardians of the Galaxy and many other films, used several of Brian's robots in her directing debut with a short film called Kalien.
*Pat Crocce, former owner of the 76’s has a pirate robot Brian made for him.
*J.J. Abrams has a bot that Brian made in his likeness in his office, a gift from Zoe Saldana after they wrapped shooting on one of the Star Trek films.
*Brian didn’t get started as an artist until he was in his early 30’s!
*He has had some pretty incredible experiences creating artwork for others. Xbox contracted Brian and other artists to help them promote a game called Recore where they used the artistic medium to create a version of one of the characters from the game.
*Zoe Saldana, Gamora from Guardians of the Galaxy and many other films, used several of Brian's robots in her directing debut with a short film called Kalien.
*Pat Crocce, former owner of the 76’s has a pirate robot Brian made for him.
*J.J. Abrams has a bot that Brian made in his likeness in his office, a gift from Zoe Saldana after they wrapped shooting on one of the Star Trek films.
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