Artwork copyright Stan Peterson. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.

Man with Bird in Hand, 1989

Stan Peterson
American (born 1945)

Location: Graham Elementary, Graham

About the Artwork

Artist Stan Peterson began carving Man with Bird in Hand by first drawing a self-portrait. The composition evolved over several months of daily whittling and carving. The artist notes that while carving he formed a story about the man and birds, and notes that "he is perched on the edge of a tall thin chair. There is a reverence and awe as the birds dive and swoop against the walls, into the man's open hands, perhaps in and out the window..."

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Bethel School District.

About the Artist

Artist Stan Peterson is an artist and wood carver who creates "freestanding short stories" in his sculptural compositions. He grew up in the rural outskirts of Portland, Oregon. For over thirty years, Peterson lived in the San Francisco area and facilitated art-making with adults who are disabled at Creative Growth Art Center in Oakland, California. In his own words: “Sometimes I think I’m just a woodpecker at heart.”