About This Stamp
The Love stamp for 2024 is a reminder that the sentiments we send through the mail are far larger than the letters and cards that convey them.
The digital illustration on this stamp features a highly stylized white bird made out of four geometric shapes shown against a rich red background. Facing the upper right corner of the stamp, the bird carries in its beak a pink envelope sealed with a red heart.
The envelope carried by the bird on this stamp serves a purpose similar to the stamp itself, hinting at a fond greeting from a loved one even before the letter or card has been opened. The red, white, and pink of this design call to mind the traditional colors of Valentine’s Day cards and decorations, but as with all previous Love issuances since the series began in 1973, this stamp encourages us to open our hearts and express our feelings on any occasion — especially when it comes as a welcome surprise.
Antonio Alcalá designed this stamp with art by Katie Kirk.
Stamp Art Director, Stamp Designer
Antonio Alcalá
Antonio Alcalá served on the Postmaster General’s Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee from 2010 until 2011, when he left to become an art director for the U.S. Postal Service's stamp development program.
He is founder and co-owner of Studio A, a design practice working with museums and arts institutions. His clients include: the National Gallery of Art, Library of Congress, National Portrait Gallery, National Museum of Women in the Arts, The Phillips Collection, and Smithsonian Institution. He also lectures at colleges including the Corcoran College of Art + Design, SVA, Pratt, and MICA.
In 2008, his work and contributions to the field of graphic design were recognized with his selection as an AIGA Fellow. He has judged international competitions for the Society of Illustrators, American Illustration, AIGA, and Graphis. Alcalá also serves on the Smithsonian National Postal Museum and Poster House Museum’s advisory councils. His designs are represented in the AIGA Design Archives, the National Postal Museum, and the Library of Congress Permanent Collection of Graphic Design.
Alcalá graduated from Yale University with a BA in history and from the Yale School of Art with an MFA in graphic design. He lives with his wife in Alexandria, Virginia.
Stamp Illustrator
Katie Kirk
Katie Kirk grew up in rural Wisconsin and was drawn to animals and wildlife from an early age. Her parents passed down their creativity along with a love of nature and science, so she was fairly sure she would end up doing something artistic – it was just a matter of what.
While studying graphic design at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Katie realized that she wanted to be an illustrator/designer and make a living doing something she loved. Specializing in bold colors and playful geometry, she works in a minimalist style in which she aspires to convey a great deal using very little. Katie is often inspired by folk art and midcentury design, and cooking and nature are repeated themes in her work.
Katie is a co-founder of Eight Hour Day, a creative studio she founded with her husband, Nathan Strandberg, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 2005. Their clients have included Target, Google, Facebook, Apple, The New York Times, and Netflix. In her free time, you can find her baking a new cookie recipe, sipping coffee at a local coffee shop, or playing Pokémon with her son.
Katie Kirk's first project for the U.S. Postal Service was to design and illustrate four stamps for the 2023 Winter Woodland Animals issuance. In 2024, her graphic illustration was featured on the Love stamp.