VCU Communication Arts students’ winning designs printed on commemorative postal cachets

By Michala Smith
University News Services

Several Virginia Commonwealth University Communication Arts students’ designs have been selected to be printed on postal cachets – in this case to commemorate the 1607 founding of Jamestown.

A cachet is a first day issue of a stamp or a creative design or inscription on an official envelope that honors an event, person or group.

"This is a great honor. These cachets will be collector's items,” said James Miller, department chairman for Communication Arts at VCU. “It's a really big deal, because the post office doesn't do this sort of thing very often."

VCU’s three winning students are Daniel Hayman in visual arts and Michael Goughan and Jordan Powers, both in graphic design. The three joined students statewide in response to a call for designs commemorating the 1607 founding of Jamestown.

Hayman, Goughman and Powers will have postal cachet designs in circulation throughout 2007 at Jamestown Settlement, historic Jamestown and selected U.S. National Park Service locations.

VCU students also placed as finalists in the graphic design category. They include Stephen Loveluck, who placed second, and Jeremy Dunn, who came in third. In addition, five VCU students received honorable mentions in the graphic design category. Each finalist received a certificate of recognition and a monetary award.

More than 4,100 students and teachers in Virginia submitted commemorative postal cachet designs. Judges rated the designs in six categories according to skill level. Entrants ranged from elementary to high school grade levels to higher education and teachers.

Of the six categories, seven designs were chosen and three were from VCU students. Each of the finalists had their designs displayed at the World Philatelic Exposition in Washington, D.C.

"This was quite a coup for VCU,” said Miller.

VCU’s Communication Arts program is designed to use technology throughout the discipline to create and communicate a message with insight and vision. The Bachelors of Fine Arts program offers degrees in drawing, illustration and visual arts.  For more, visit http://www.pubinfo.vcu.edu/artweb/communicationarts/.

To view the winning postal cachets, visit www.jamestown2007.org/special-stamps.cfm.