Former Trustee Eric Madsen Appointed to Citizen's Stamp Advisory Committee

January 22, 2010

WASHINGTON, Jan. 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — An internationally acclaimed award-winning poet and two renown designers join the committee that reviews topics and people to be honored and commemorated on U.S. postage stamps.

Postmaster General John Potter today announced the retirement of two members of the Citizen's Stamp Advisory Committee and the addition of three new members. The committee annually reviews stamp suggestions from 50,000 Americans before recommending approximately 20 topics for the Postmaster General's approval.

New members are internationally acclaimed award-winning poet and past chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts Dana Gioia of Washington, D.C. He will be joined by two international award-winning graphic designers Antonio Alcala of Alexandria, VA, and Eric Madsen of Minneapolis, MN. Lifelong stamp collector, philatelic writer, editor, researcher, exhibitor and lecturer John Hotchner, and patron of the arts and former second lady Joan Mondale will leave the committee.

"We are truly grateful to John for his invaluable experience and years of service to the committee and to Joan for her fine arts influence on the stamp program and for their time and unwavering commitment to making the Postal Service's stamp program second to none," said Potter. "I would also like to thank Dana, Antonio and Eric for stepping forward to lend their enthusiasm, dedication and expertise in the future development of our world-class stamp program."

Eric Madsen

In a graphic design career spanning 40 years, Madsen's work has been recognized nationally and internationally by such organizations and publications as the AIGA, the Society of Typographic Arts, the Society of Publication Designers, the Type Director's Club of New York, magazines such as Applied Arts (Canada), Communication Arts, Critique, Idea (Japan), Graphis, Print, and by the numerous art director's clubs nationwide. Madsen is a past member of the national board of directors of the AIGA, and a founding board member of the AIGA/Minnesota chapter. He has served as a member of the board of trustees of the College of Visual Arts, St. Paul, and the board of directors of the Minnesota Center for Book Arts. His fine art has been recognized by the Minneapolis Foundation, the Francis Hardy Center for the Arts and the Miller Art Museum.