About This Stamp
“Let’s go sailing!” The U.S. Postal Service celebrates a favorite outdoor activity with two colorful postcard stamps.
Illustrator Libby VanderPloeg grew up in Grand Haven, MI, a little harbor town on Lake Michigan, so sailboats were always dotting her views as a kid. With these memories in mind, she created two colorful, abstract images that capture the essence of sailing, one of America’s favorite pastimes.
A sailing adventure is one of the true joys of the summer months. Breezes ruffle your hair as your boat glides through the waves—the smells of sea spray and sunscreen linger on your skin. You feel a joyful sensation as the wind tugs the boat toward the horizon.
Sailing offers a fun way to spend time with family and friends in a peaceful place. So, find a boat, pack a picnic, choose your destination, and set sail toward the next harbor!
Antonio Alcalá art directed the project.
Sailboats will be issued in a pane of 20 and a coil format. The word “POSTCARD” on the stamps indicates their usage value. Like Forever® stamps, these stamps will always be valid for the rate printed on them.
Stamp Art Director
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 Designer, Stamp Artist
Libby VanderPloeg
Illustrator Libby VanderPloeg always loved drawing. Growing up in Grand Haven and Grand Rapids, Michigan, she was surrounded by books and stories, as her mom was a storyteller and children’s librarian.
After studying fine art at University of Illinois at Chicago and working as a graphic designer, art director, and even a cheese monger in Brooklyn, she decided to fully embrace her lifelong love of drawing through illustration.
Her favorite project in her career thus far has been illustrating the book British Museum: A History of the World in 25 Cities. For the book, she illustrated maps of 25 cities at pivotal points in history, as well as vignettes of daily life and historical events.
Her work has also appeared in numerous publications including Better Homes & Gardens, Condé Nast Traveler, The New Yorker, The New York Times, Oprah Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post, among many others.
VanderPloeg—who describes her own work as whimsical, colorful, bold, and modern—loves creating quirky, sweet, animated gifs that celebrate community and inclusivity. She especially enjoys playing with pattern, and also making colorful, detailed maps.
She currently lives in west Michigan.
Sailboats (2023) is VanderPloeg’s first stamp project for the U.S. Postal Service.