Friday, November 25, 2016

More 2017 Stamp Announcements

The Postal Service today announced more subjects that will be featured on Forever stamps in the new year. Here are some of the latest additions (more to be posted next week):
Dorothy Height (Black Heritage series)
The 40th stamp in the Black Heritage series honors Dorothy Height (1912-2010), the tireless activist who dedicated her life to fighting for racial and gender equality. Although she rarely gained the recognition granted her male contemporaries, she became one of the most influential civil rights leaders of the 20th century. The stamp features artist Thomas Blackshear II’s gouache and acrylics on board portrait of Height. The painting is based on a 2009 photograph shot by Lateef Mangum. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp.
Nebraska Statehood (Statehood series)
This stamp celebrates the 150th anniversary of Nebraska’s statehood. Known for agriculture, the Cornhusker State became the 37th state on March 1, 1867. Nebraska photographer Michael Forsberg set up among prairie grasses on the riverbank between the small cities of Grand Island and Kearney to capture the image shown on the stamp. In the photograph, sandhill cranes fly low to scout for shelter from nighttime predators. This mid-migratory rest for half a million birds along the Platte River is unique to Nebraska. Forsberg captured this image as winter thawed into spring around the year 2000. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp using Forsberg’s existing photograph.


Celebration Boutonniere
This new Forever stamp is similar in design to the two-ounce Celebration Corsage stamp and can be used for weddings and RSVP cards. It also is perfect for party invitations, thank-you notes, announcements, birthday cards, Father's Day cards and other occasions. The stamp art features a photograph of an arrangement of ranunculus, with floral accents of succulents, Astrantia, Berzelia, and clubmoss greenery. The ribbon wrapping the stems harmonizes with the colors and textures of the plant material. The boutonniere was arranged by floral designer Carol Caggiano and photographed by Renée Comet. Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamp.


Celebration Corsage
This new 2-ounce stamp is perfect for many of life’s special moments, as it can accommodate the weight of heavy invitations for birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, and other celebrations; oversize greeting cards for all occasions; and mailings such as small gifts that require extra postage. Celebration Corsage is similar in design to the Celebration Boutonniere Forever stamp, and the two form a natural pair.  The corsage was arranged by floral designer Carol Caggiano and photographed by Renée Comet. Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamp.

Mississippi Statehood (Statehood series)
This stamp celebrates the 200th anniversary of Mississippi statehood. Mississippi became the 20th state on Dec. 10, 1817. The stamp features a 2009 photograph showing a close-up of a guitar player’s hands. Mississippi is the birthplace of many legendary blues artists who created a uniquely American genre of music. Among states, the Magnolia State is 32nd in size, and with nearly three million people, it ranks 31st in population. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp with an existing photo taken by Lou Bopp.  

Robert Panara (Distinguished Americans series)
The 16th stamp in the Distinguished Americans series honors Robert Panara (1920-2014), an influential teacher and a pioneer in the field of deaf studies. The stamp features a 2009 photograph of Panara. He is shown signing the word “respect.” During his 40-year teaching career, Panara inspired generations of students with his powerful use of American Sign Language. Panara taught at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC for nearly 20 years at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (part of the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York state). Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamp with an existing photograph by Mark Benjamin, official photographer of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf in Rochester.
Have A Ball!
The U.S. Postal Service celebrates our nation’s passion for athletics with Have a Ball! The stamps feature colorful illustrations of eight different sports balls: baseball, basketball, football, golf, kickball, soccer, tennis and volleyball. Millions in the U.S. participate annually in the sports represented on the stamps. Mike Ryan designed the stamps and Greg Breeding served as the art director. Daniel Nyari created the colorful, stylized stamp art. 

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