What:

The U.S. Postal Service will honor American artist Roy Lichtenstein with five commemorative Forever stamps featuring his colorful pop art.

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

Who:

Tom Marshall, U.S. Postal Service general counsel and executive vice president, will serve as dedicating official.

When:

Monday, April 24, at 11:30 a.m. ET

Where:

Whitney Museum of American Art
Susan and John Hess Family Theater
99 Gansevoort Street
New York, NY 10014

RSVP:

Attendees are encouraged to RSVP at usps.com/roylichtenstein.

Background:

Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997), the iconic American artist of the pop art movement, stunned the art world in 1961 with his large paintings starring cartoon characters and a range of consumer products, among other unlikely subjects. Some art connoisseurs found them outrageous, but others saw great meaning in them. Lichtenstein’s career quickly took off.

Pop art, which arose in the late 1950s and reached its height in the 1960s, looked to popular culture for its aesthetic. It often was seen as poking fun at consumerism.

With their trademark heavy black outlining, intense colors, dot patterns simulating four-color mechanical printing and machine-made quality, Lichtenstein’s paintings are instantly recognizable.

The many honors Lichtenstein received over the course of his career include induction into the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1979 and the National Medal of Arts in 1995. His work is found in prestigious museums and galleries around the world.

Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products through the Postal Store at usps.com/shopstamps, by calling 844-737-7826, by mail through USA Philatelic or at Post Office locations nationwide.

###