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September 30, 2011

Everyday Art and Extraordinary People

by Lesley Landis-Voller, President of ChathamArts

Uncle Bill collected postage stamps from the time he was a youngster. But he’d moved on from the collection housed in three huge books so he loaned them to my brother and I. We found postage stamps were a fun way to learn about countries, flora, fauna, and events that stretched well beyond our home.

To my pre-teen eyes, the postage stamps in my Uncle’s heavy books were exotic, colorful, and cultivated so many questions. Where was that place? What does that symbol mean? Who was this person?

Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting one of the people behind the selection of postage stamp art and the US Postage Service itself.

At her retirement in 1987, Dr. Jackie Strange had served the US Postal Service for 40 years. She is the former Deputy Post Master General of the United States Postal Service, and to date the only woman to serve in that position. During her tenure, Dr. Strange distinguished herself as a sucessful leader of the world’s largest non-military workforce of 800,000 employees and oversaw an annual budget of $32 billion. She’s received numerous distinguished awards and honors and even designed her own couture fashion line for women. Dr. Strange is also an author, having written “Ms Deputy Postmaster General: How Trusted Leadership, Courage and Innovation Impacted the Postal Service.” As a graphic designer, I was most interested in Dr. Strange’s accounts of having participated in the selection of the original “LOVE” stamp in 1973, designed by artist Robert Indiana.

I remember using that stamp to send letters to my pen pal in New York. Now I marvel at the utility and sentimentality that this small adhesive square of art evokes.

Coincidentally, Dr. Strange was honored on a day that also celebrated the unveiling of the forever postage stamp depicting American humorist and literary artist, Mark Twain. This was a perfect alignment of so many personal interests: visual and literary art, history and political commentary, graphic design, stamp collecting and leadership.

Life in Chatham County is so very rich… with everyday art and extraordinary people.

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By Chatham Arts Council | Filed Under: ChathamArts News, County Happenings | Tagged With: Community, Pittsboro

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