NEW EXHIBITION PRESENTS FIRST-EVER JAZZ-THEMED SURVEY OF POSTAGE-STAMP DESIGN Center for Jazz Arts has assembled the first exhibition exploring the history of postage-stamp design through a diverse, jazz-themed survey of Postal Service issues spanning the years 1986 - 2002. April 15, 2005 Los Angeles --- The new, online exhibition "American Gallery" brings to the public an important showcase of the numerous stamp-image illustrators, photographers, designers, and typographers whose work will forever serve to both commemorate and define the heart of a nation. Drawn from the vaults of the U.S. Postal Service in Washington, "American Gallery" documents an array of timeless images from throughout the history of twentieth-century America, including a striking, 1986 portrait of legendary bandleader Duke Ellington, by award-winning artist James Sharpe, representing the earliest of any jazz-themed stamp-image design. Despite the Postal Service's first issuance of a jazz-influenced image coming only as recently as 1986 (Duke Ellington), many of the featured designs have been meticulously rendered from earlier photos or illustrations originating from as early as 1920s America, and the birth of the "jazz age" itself. "We're incredibly pleased to bring this unparalleled exhibition to the public," stated Guy DeFazio, president and chairman of the Center for Jazz Arts. "It embodies not only the work of a remarkable group of award-winning visual artists, but also represents a rich gallery of images depicting some of the most beloved musical artists, composers, and conductors in the world." The twelve stamp-image designs selected for "American Gallery" include portraits of such legendary figures as Leonard Bernstein, John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, George and Ira Gershwin, Ferde Grofé, Langston Hughes, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, and Alfred Newman, as well as showcase timeless works by renowned, American illustrator John Held Jr. and pioneering, French photojournalist Henri Cartier-Bresson. In addition to John Held's previously published illustration of a 1920s "flapper doing the Charleston," other featured designs include visual references to such classic works of American literature as F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" (1925). During their creation process, all stamp-image designs are overseen by a Postal Service art director who conducts thorough background research into the history of each subject; selects the artists to be used (painters, illustrators, photographers, typographers); and submits preliminary renderings to a Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee (CSAC). From the time of the earliest proposal and selection process for a stamp's subject, through to the creation of the initial sketches submitted to the CSAC, the final design of a Postal Service stamp-image can require as much as two years of continuous collaboration and development before it is approved for issuance to the public. Every year, numerous, award-winning visual artists bring their talents to the field of postage-stamp design and are allowed to freely experiment with a range of styles and approaches in creating their final work. The various approaches implemented can range from oil on canvas, oil on board, acrylic on board, ink and airbrush on paper, and watercolor on paper, to ink and colored pencil on paper, airbrush and acrylic on board, and various other combinations. In "American Gallery," the featured images incorporate many of these approaches, and provide an unparalleled showcase of works by such celebrated artists as Thomas Blackshear, Carl Herrman, Dean Mitchell, Howard Paine, James Sharpe, Richard Sheaff, and Burton Silverman. As a chronicle of one of the most exclusive areas of American graphic design, the assembled portraits, photographs, and caricatures represent remarkable windows into the history of America, and the sheer quantity of each issue has allowed the work of Postal Service artists to reach a truly vast, global audience. Of the twelve works featured, the following list is a sampling of the quantities issued: Alfred Newman (42.5 mil), George and Ira Gershwin (42.5 mil), Leonard Bernstein (55 mil), Ferde Grofe (86 mil), Langston Hughes (120 mil), and Flappers Do The Charleston (188 mil). About the CJA: Established in 2004, the Center for Jazz Arts is an international institution devoted to the study and advancement of American jazz culture throughout the visual, literary, and classical arts, around the world. Through its primary operations in Los Angeles, it is building a prominent new platform of engagement for students, artists, educators, and the broader public, from every generation. For more information contact: Public Relations Center for Jazz Arts (866) 950-5200 info@centerforjazzarts.com [ back to top ]