Art That Makes a Difference: Breast Cancer Awareness Month
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time to honor those affected by breast cancer, raise awareness about early detection, and recognize…
Since 1998, the United States Postal Service (USPS) has issued seven semipostal stamps, each designed to raise funds and awareness for important health and social issues. Whitney Sherman, founding director of MICA’s MFA in Illustration Practice program, illustrated both the first semipostal stamp, the wildly popular Breast Cancer Research Stamp (BCRS), and the most recent, Know the Facts About Fentanyl, issued this month at the National Institutes of Health.
Unlike traditional postage stamps, semipostal stamps are sold at a premium, with the additional proceeds supporting research, education, and outreach related to each stamp’s cause. To date, more than 1.2 billion Breast Cancer Research Stamps have been sold, raising nearly $100 million for research benefiting the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense’s medical research programs. Similarly, 18 cents from each Know the Facts About Fentanyl stamp sold will support the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Both stamps also reflect Sherman's connections to the MICA community. For the Breast Cancer Research Stamp, she collaborated with art director Ethel Kessler ’71 (Graphic Design). For Know the Facts About Fentanyl, she worked with art director Antonio Alcalá, a former faculty member in MICA’s MFA in Graphic Design program.
