Minnesotan Joan Mondale, a longtime arts advocate and wife of former Vice President Walter Mondale, is leaving the U.S. Postal Service panel that reviews topics and people to be honored and commemorated on U.S. postage stamps.
Word of her departure came one day after Norway's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Walter Mondale has stepped down as that Scandinavian country's honorary consul general in Minnesota. The 82-year-old's retirement from a post he had held since 2007 took effect Jan. 15.
Joan Mondale, 79, had a role in selecting more than 500 stamps since joining the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee in April 2005.
In Thursday's statement announcing Mondale's departure and other personnel changes on the committee, Postmaster General John Potter expressed gratitude for her "fine arts influence on the stamp program."
The Postal Service added that Mondale's 40-plus years as an arts advocate was instrumental in developing the Abstract Expressionists stamps, scheduled for a March 11 release.
Committee members are appointed by the postmaster general. The 53-year-old committee has 15 members, whose backgrounds reflect a range of educational, artistic, historical and professional expertise. The committee annually reviews stamp suggestions from 50,000 Americans before recommending about 20 topics for the postmaster general's approval.
Minus 1, Plus 1
As one Minnesotan leaves the panel, another was announced Thursday as joining. Eric Madsen, a Minneapolis graphic designer, is one of three new committee members.
In a career spanning 40 years, Madsen's work has been recognized nationally and internationally by such organizations and publications as the AIGA (the professional association for design), the Society of Typographic Arts, the Society of Publication Designers, the Type Director's Club of New York, magazines such as Applied Arts (Canada), Communication Arts, Critique, Idea (Japan), Graphis, Print and by numerous art directors clubs nationwide.
He is a past member of the national board of directors of the AIGA and a founding board member of the AIGA/Minnesota chapter. He has served as a member of the board of trustees of the College of Visual Arts in St. Paul and the board of directors of the Minnesota Center for Book Arts. His fine art has been recognized by the Minneapolis Foundation, the Francis Hardy Center for the Arts and the Miller Art Museum.
The other new members are Dan Gioia, internationally acclaimed award-winning poet and past chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, and international award-winning graphic designer Antonio Alcala. Also departing is lifelong stamp collector, philatelic writer, editor, researcher, exhibitor and lecturer John Hotchner.
Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482
