George Morrison (U.S. 2022)

Announced November 1, 2021:

One of the nation’s greatest modernist artists and a founding figure of Native American modernism, George Morrison (1919-2000) challenged prevailing ideas of what Native American art should be, arguing that an artist’s identity can exist independently from the nature of the art he creates. Morrison is best known for his abstract landscapes and monumental wood collages. A pane of 20 colorful stamps showcases five of Morrison’s artworks. The selvage features a photograph of the artist in his home studio. Antonio Alcalá was the art director and designer for this stamp pane.

The Scott catalogue number for this issue:

5688 Sun and River
a. Imperforate
5689 Phenomena Against the Crimson: Lake Superior Landscape
a. Imperforate
5690 Lake Superior Landscape
a. Imperforate
5691 Spirit Path, New Day Red Rock Variation: Lake Superior Landscape
a. Imperforate
5692 Untitled
a. Imperforate
b. Vert. strip of 5, #5688-5692
c. Imperforate vert. strip of 5, #5688-5692

Additional information will be posted below the line, with the newest at the top.


Updated March 30th:
Here is what the full pane looks like:Updated March 30th:
Here are the designs for the first-day postmarks: The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.89″ x 1.12“.  The Pictorial Postmark measures 2.19″ x 1.17“. The “Special” postmark is for use only by post offices after the first-day. We do not have a measurement for it.

Updated March 17th:
[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Native American Modernist Artist George Morrison Memorialized
on New Forever Stamps

WHAT: The U.S. Postal Service honors George Morrison (1919-2000), one of the nation’s greatest modernist artists and founding figure of Native American modernism, with a set of five stamps showcasing his work.

The first-day-of-issue event for the George Morrison Forever stamps is free and open to the public. News of the stamps is being shared with the hashtag#GeorgeMorrisonStamps.

WHO: Steve Monteith, chief customer and marketing officer and executive vice president, U.S. Postal Service

Briand Mesaba Morrison, Grand Portage Band of Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, musician and interdisciplinary artist

Hazel Belvo, artist and Minneapolis College of Art and Design Professor Emerita

Kristin Makholm, art historian and co-author of the book Modern Spirit: The Art of George Morrison

Andrea Carlson, (Grand Portage Anishinaabe and Scandinavian descent), visual artist and writer

Christina Woods (Anamacikwe), Member of the Bois Forte Tribal Nation,
Executive Director Duluth Art Institute, US Senate Curatorial Advisory Board

John Morrin (Giniwogichada), committeeman, Grand Portage Tribal Council

Robert Deschampe, Grand Portage Band of Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Chairman of Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa

Elizabeth Drost, Grand Portage Ojibwe, Executive Director of the Cook County/Grand Marais Joint Economic Development Authority

WHEN: Friday, April 22, 2022, at 1 p.m. CDT

WHERE:
Grand Portage National Monument
170 Mile Creek Road
Grand Portage, MN 55605

RSVP: Dedication ceremony attendees are encouraged to RSVP at:usps.com/georgemorrison

BACKGROUND: One of the nation’s greatest modernist artists and a founding figure of Native American modernism, George Morrison challenged prevailing ideas of what Native American art should be, arguing that an artist’s identity can exist independently from the nature of the art he creates. He is best known for his abstract landscape paintings and monumental wood collages, which draw on childhood memory and reflect a deep and abiding connection with the natural world.

Many of his works feature a prominent horizon line inspired consciously and subconsciously by his childhood on the shore of Lake Superior. Representing the space where sky and water meet, the horizon line also marks the boundary between known and unknown, a mystery that Morrison repeatedly explored, even as he continued to refine his modernist vision.

Updated March 10th:
Note the date change in the Postal Bulletin:

On April 22, 2022, in Grand Portage, MN, the United States Postal Service® will issue the George Morrison stamps (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in five designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 481800). The stamps will go on sale nationwide April 22, 2022, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

With these stamps, the Postal Service™ recognizes George Morrison (1919–2000), one of the nation‘s greatest modernist artists. The pane of 20 stamps showcases five of Morrison‘s abstract landscapes:

  • Sun and River (1949);
  • Phenomena Against the Crimson: Lake Superior Landscape (1985);
  • Lake Superior Landscape (1981);
  • Spirit Path, New Day, Red Rock Variation: Lake Superior Landscape (1990); and
  • Untitled (1995).

The selvage features a photograph of Morrison at Red Rock, his home and studio in Grand Portage, Minnesota. The photograph was taken by Marlene Wisuri in 1993. A founding figure of Native American modernism, Morrison challenged prevailing ideas of what Native American art should be, arguing that an artist‘s identity can exist independently from the nature of the art he creates. Antonio Alcalá served as art director and designer for this stamp pane.

No automatic distribution.

There is a special postmark for this issue that local post offices may use after the first-day [right].

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office™ or at The Postal Store® website at usps.com/shop. They must affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others) and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

FDOI – George Morrison Stamps
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by August 22, 2022.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: George Morrison Stamps
Item Number: 481800
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (5 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: April 22, 2022, Grand Portage, MN 55605
Art Director: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria VA
Designer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria VA
Existing Art: George Morrison
Existing Photo: Marlene Wisuri
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd (APU)
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 18,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Pantone Grey 7C
Stamp Orientation: Square
Image Area (w x h): 1.085 x 1.085 in. / 27.559 x 27.559 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.225 x 1.225 in. / 31.115 x 31.115 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 8.25 x 7.12 in. / 209.55 x 180.848 mm
Press Sheets Size (w x h): 22.50 x 27 in. / 571.5 x 685.8 mm
Plate Size: 180 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “P” followed by five (5) single digits in two corners
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: GEORGE MORRISON 1919-2000 American Landscape Painter and Sculptor • Plate number in bottom two corners
Back: ©2021 USPS • USPS logo • 2 barcodes (481800) • Plate position (9) • Promotional text

Updated January 13:
These stamps will be issued April 29 in Grand Portage, Minn. Morrison was a member of the Grand Portage Band Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, and was born near its reservation.

2 thoughts on “George Morrison (U.S. 2022)

    • You are correct. Broadcast today in 10 MAR 2022 Postal Bulletin.
      Issue Date 22 APR 22.

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