Smithsonian Opens Stamp-Art Show for America's 250th
By @sharedot · · 6 pages
- Art
- Exhibitions
- Stamp Art
- Smithsonian
The National Postal Museum's 'American Stories, American Stamps' opens Nov. 20, revealing the sketches and rejections behind miniature American art.
A 250th-Anniversary Show Built From Stamp Art
The Smithsonian's National Postal Museum will open "American Stories, American Stamps" on Friday, Nov. 20, timed to the United States' 250th anniversary.
According to the Van Nuys News Press, the exhibition draws on the U.S. Postal Service's Postmaster General's Collection to show how postage stamps have reflected the people, events, achievements and cultural traditions that shaped the nation.
Presented in English and Spanish, it runs through 2029, with rotating displays of original artwork and stamps organized around 12 themes including science, sports, the arts, patriotism and civic leaders.
Rejected Sketches and a Heat-Sensitive Eclipse
The surprise for stamp fans is how much of the creative process will be exposed: preliminary sketches, approved and rejected designs, and printing proofs, per the Van Nuys News Press.
Highlights include original artwork for the 2013 Emancipation Proclamation stamp by artist Gail Anderson and art director Antonio Alcalá, and a 2017 total solar eclipse stamp whose heat-sensitive ink reveals the moon when touched.
Kam Mak's 2016 Year of the Monkey artwork uses peonies symbolizing wealth and honor, while Whitney Sherman's 1998 watercolor launched the nation's first semipostal stamp for breast cancer research.
Miniatures Join a Wider Push for Accessible Art
The exhibition's argument that small, affordable objects can carry major art echoes a theme running through other outlets this week.
The Rocky Mountain Collegian reports that the Museum of Art Fort Collins is staging "Art and Access: New Directions in Prints and Multiples," featuring Banksy, Judy Chicago and Shepard Fairey, on the premise that prints and multiples make recognizable names affordable.
What Visitors Will See Next
The show also traces how the public shapes stamp subjects, following the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee from initial proposals through artistic development and final approval, the Van Nuys News Press notes.
Curator Alison Bazylinski told the outlet that displaying original artwork beside finished stamps lets visitors "gain a new appreciation for the artistry involved."
The exhibition builds on a concept by USPS art directors Antonio Alcalá and Greg Breeding, is funded by the Smithsonian's "Our Shared Future: 250" initiative, and will be supported by public programming and educational resources for teachers.
The museum, across from Union Station, is open daily 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.