Summer Sunset, a nondenominated, nonprofit-price stamp intended for bulk mailings by authorized nonprofit organizations, features a sunset over water.

The stamp is an oil painting of a sunset in Menemsha, a fishing village in the town of Chilmark on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. In the summer, people gather to watch the sunset over the water. It's tradition for the crowd to break into applause once the sun sets beyond the horizon.

Art director Derry Noyes says finding the perfect art for a nonprofit stamp can be a challenge.

“Landscapes and sunsets seem to fall neatly into this category as possible subject matter,” Noyes says. “Sunsets are universally appealing. We all gravitate to their beauty and the changing colors of the sky. A postage stamp that celebrates looking out over a body of water at the end of a summer day seems to fit well for a nonprofit organization.”

Noyes has been going to Martha’s Vineyard for most of her life. She saw local artist Rachael Cassiani’s work at a gallery there and thought it would be great for a nonprofit stamp.

“Her landscapes are rather abstract and very calming,” Noyes says. “They capture the views all over the island that we love and live with daily. The weather, the light, and the sky are all a part of our lives — and particularly beautiful on this island. Her art captures that essence, without being finicky and too detailed. They also reduce down to stamp size well and don’t become cluttered.”

It’s been an impressive journey for Cassiani, a largely self-taught artist who was born on Martha’s Vineyard in 1992. In her teens, she was reading books on how to oil paint. Now, one of her paintings of Martha’s Vineyard is appearing on a U.S. stamp.

“It’s a pretty special opportunity!” Cassiani says. “USPS connects so many people every day. To know a little piece of my creativity will be a part of that connection is an incredible thing!”

The Stamp Encore winner has been announced!

The Stamp Encore winner has been announced!