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.
