Stamp Design and the Visual Arts

Topical Reference Page
a blank stamp frame

Find resources about stamp art and design on the museum's website.

15-cent Smithsonian Institution single
About U.S. Stamps - 1980 American Architecture Series Issue
Exhibition
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Alphabetilately
September 26, 2008 - October 12, 2015
Exhibition

This exhibition presented an alphabet of philately through 26 topics, in which each letter represented some aspect of stamp collecting or the sending of mail.

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50-cent Freedom From Want stamp
American Art on Postage Stamps
Exhibition

Telling the Story of a Nation
From the early colonial period to the present day, American artists have captured their interpretation of the American experience using different forms of art. These pieces of fine art have been adapted to portray famous American individuals, events, and geography on postage stamps. Postage stamps depicting fine art have become another looking glass into this country and its many themes.

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5-cent ultramarine Daniel Chester French single
About U.S. Stamps - American Artists
Exhibition
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13-cent Pueblo Art Pottery block of four
About U.S. Stamps - American Folk Art Series: Pueblo Pottery
Exhibition
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Chichen Itza, Yucatan stamp
Mexico Via Airmail - Architecture
Exhibition
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Art of the Stamp
Art of the Stamp
July 30, 2003 - February 24, 2004
Exhibition

On view were 100 original drawings and artworks that were used to create postage stamps, including entries for the famous Elvis stamp design competition.

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Owney sitting on mailbag
Art of the Stamp: Owney
July 11, 2011 - August 5, 2012
Exhibition

Art of the Stamp: Owney the Postal Dog featured Bill Bonds’s original painting of Owney that was produced for the stamp. It was accompanied by 6 sketches illustrating various poses of Owney that Mr. Bonds created as he developed his...

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painting of a Fulvous Whistling Duck
Artistic License
July 1, 2004 - July 10, 2006
Exhibition

This exhibition explored the history of rare and collectible Federal Duck Stamps created as a result of this extraordinary conservation program.

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painting of a mail carrier walking through a mountainous landscape
About Postal Operations - Artwork
Exhibition
On post office walls throughout the United States, painted scenes reflect America's...
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Engraved die, 1851 stamp essay
Stamps Take Flight - Be an Artist!
Exhibition
Learn to create your own stamp engraving at home with a few simple materials.
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stamp art painting featuring several flowers in blooms
Beautiful Blooms
October 20, 2017 - July 14, 2019
Exhibition

Flowering Plants on Stamps
This exhibition highlighted the variety of flowering plants commemorated on US postage stamps during the past 50 years and explored artistic themes that emerged during this period.

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Related Blogs

This blue Panama Canal Zone 5 cent stamp depicts a map of the country of Panama.
A Stamp that Changed History: How the Panama Canal was Almost the Nicaragua Canal
10.26.2020

Never underestimate the power of a stamp! Postage stamps not only have the ability to document history, they can also change it. In fact, one such Nicaraguan stamp changed both American and world history by playing a role in the completion of the Panama Canal.

Learn more About A Stamp that Changed History: How the Panama Canal was Almost the Nicaragua Canal

Painting of baseball player Larry Doby’s upper body in uniform holding bat awaiting pitch.
Kadir Nelson: The Artist Behind the Stamp
07.14.2020

Explore the work of Kadir Nelson, a prolific contemporary artist and illustrator who has created numerous postage stamps often highlighting the lives and accomplishments of African Americans. 

Learn more About Kadir Nelson: The Artist Behind the Stamp

Photograph of handmade accordion time capsule
Video Tutorial: How to Make a Time Capsule
07.14.2020

Bel Mills, a collage artist and book designer, demonstrates the simple steps to create your own time capsule and explains the origin of the craft and its relevance during the pandemic. 

Learn more About Video Tutorial: How to Make a Time Capsule

Two similar postage stamps; right has image of woman holding baby, left has image of woman holding dog
Between Stamp Art and Quarantine: Recreate the Stamp Challenge
05.07.2020

The National Postal Museum invites you to partake in a new quarantine challenge: recreating a postage stamp using items from your home!

Learn more About Between Stamp Art and Quarantine: Recreate the Stamp Challenge

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