Public/press invited to celebrate Latin Jazz Stamp & Hispanic Heritage this Sat., October 11 at the Denver Museo de Las Americas

DENVER, CO — The U.S. Postal Service recently issued a colorful new 42-cent Latin Jazz Stamp (pictured) honoring the rich legacy of Latin jazz. The stamp is now available at all Post Offices and through usps.com.

Now the Denver Post Office invites the community to put its stamp on Latin Jazz this Saturday, October 11, at the Museo de las Americas, 861 Santa Fe Drive, Denver.

The FREE, festive event will be held from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and will also celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15).

The Latin Jazz Stamp celebration will include special presentations by the Colorado Conservatory for the Jazz Arts (CCJA), and the Denver School for the Arts dancers. A special postmark and souvenir cachet envelope will be available. There will also be a free drawing to win other beautiful Latin-themed stamp art.

The stamp was designed by San Francisco-based artist Michael Bartalos. Capturing the upbeat, energetic and romantic spirit that characterizes much of Latin jazz, he created a tropical evening scene that depicts three musicians playing bass, piano, and conga drums.

Latin jazz is an improvisational and rhythmic style of music combining elements of jazz with musical traditions rooted in Africa, Europe and the Americas. Like jazz, it relies on instruments such as the piano, saxophone and bass to play and improvise harmonies and melodies.

The U.S. Postal Service has issued more than 50 stamps celebrating Hispanic heritage. The Latin Jazz stamp is the latest in a long and popular line of stamp subjects honoring great Hispanic Americans, history and events. Recent stamps have honored American journalist Ruben Salazar, the 1947 Mendez v. Westminster trial, and civil rights leader Cesar Chavez.

“We invite everyone to join us at this special celebration and arts event on October 11,” says Denver Postmaster Alan Catlin. “Through beautiful stamps like this, the U.S. Postal Service shares with the American public the many key Hispanic contributions to our nation’s arts and culture, and that celebrate Denver’s and America’s great diversity.”

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