July 29 marks the 10th anniversary of the release of the Breast Cancer Research fundraising or "semipostal" stamp, which was designed by Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) alumna Ethel Kessler and illustrated by Whitney Sherman, a MICA alumna and the chair of the illustration department at the College.

The stamp, which was first issued on July 29, 1998, features the phrases, "Fund the Fight" and "Find a Cure," and Sherman's illustration of a mythical goddess of the hunt.

The price of a semipostal pays for the First-Class, single-piece postage rate in effect at the time of purchase plus an amount to fund causes that the U.S. Postal Service determines to be in the national public interest and appropriate.

As of the end of April 2008, more than 820.3 million Breast Cancer Research stamps had been sold, raising more than $62 million for Breast Cancer Research, according to the USPS.

Seventy percent of the net amount raised is given to the National Institutes of Health and 30 percent is given to the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs of the Department of Defense.

For more information, call 410-225-2300.

 

Founded in 1826, MICA is among the top visual arts colleges in the nation. It enrolls 1,714 undergraduate and 218 graduate students from 48 states and 52 foreign countries, offering programs of study leading to the bachelor of fine arts (B.F.A.), master of arts (M.A.), and master of fine arts (M.F.A.) degrees. It also offers post-baccalaureate certificate programs and a full slate of credit and noncredit courses for adults, college-bound students, and children. MICA is recognized as an important cultural resource for the Baltimore/Washington region, sponsoring many public and community-outreach programs-including more than 100 exhibitions by students, faculty, and nationally and internationally known artists annually-as well as artists' residencies, film series, lectures, readings, and performances.