Local visual artist and Middle Tennessee State University graduate Heather Moulder has recently released a bluegrass design postage stamp along with United States Postal Service art director Antonio Alcalá, now available through USPS. Moulder said she has been thrilled to see both local bluegrass fans and avid stamp collectors show excitement for the stamp while purchasing it.

Moulder said she had a mutual connection in her job at the renowned 145-year-old Hatch Show Print Shop that connected her to the opportunity. She said in many ways she was also a natural fit for the stamp design as well, as those in charge of the project were looking for someone who could provide the classic wood-type style often seen in bluegrass print art. Moulder said she worked to make the stamp feel genuine and human rather than creating something so meticulously perfect it felt inauthentic.

The artist said her biggest challenge regarding the project was adjusting to the particular parameters involved: the length of time the project required, and the very small scale within which she had to work. She said that while working on bluegrass music posters she can be given as little as a couple of days to have the assignment completed. While working on the stamp, however, Moulder said the design of the project took upwards of a year to complete and then another estimated six months until she saw it released, all while having agreed not to talk about the project before its debut.

But the designer said the process taught her to practice patience in her artistry and said she would love to work on a similar project again.

She also said the debut ceremony was a very special occasion, as the stamp premiered on her mother’s birthday on March 15, and the two took time to celebrate the achievement that made a special day even more uplifting.

The stamps are currently available at store.usps.com; a book of 20 goes for $13.60 (as current stamp prices are 68 cents apiece). Or, be on the lookout for the stamp design at your local post office.