Artwork copyright Joan Sterrenburg. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Joan Sterrenburg. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.

Night Drift, 1986

Joan Sterrenburg
American (born 1941)

Location: Washington State Patrol - District IV Headquarters, Spokane, Spokane

About the Artwork

Night Drift is an abstract collage created by artist Joan Sterrenburg. She constructed the composition from 810 individual sheets of handmade paper. She folded the papers into trapezoids to enhance the texture and pattern of the surface. She notes, "The image of the piece is influenced by my fascination with the rhythmic movements of Nighthawks flying across the darkening sky as evening becomes night."

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Washington State Patrol.

About the Artist

Artist Joan Sterrenburg creates handmade paper and textile artworks. She is based in Florida. Previously, she was a professor at the School of Fine Arts, Indiana University in Bloomington from 1970 until her retirement in 2004. She founded and directed the Indiana University Handmade Paper Facility from 1979 to 1989. Born in Chicago, She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1963. She received a Master of Arts degree from Stanford University in 1964, and a Master of Arts degree from the University of California, Berkeley in 1970. Her artworks are held in over forty collections, including the American Craft Museum in New York City.