Cab drivers lay on their horns as they wind their way around a congested Columbus Circle in Manhattan. Those on foot aren’t happy, either. The weather, to put it politely, is not tourist friendly today.
Inside a nearby skyscraper, though, the gray outside has been replaced by an explosion of color. Pink, red, and purple streamers hang everywhere. Long tables are covered with construction paper and markers. And poster boards are situated around the room, each displaying a heart.
It's the heart of Q. Cassetti. For more than 30 years, she has devoted herself to design. After earning her BFA in design in 1979, the CMU alumna built a career as a graphic designer for clients such as Corning Incorporated, Tiffany and Estee Lauder. Then, at age 45, she decided to earn an MA in illustration from Syracuse University (2007) and concluding with a MFA from the University of Hartford/Hartford Art School (2009). Her thesis topic: Be Mine: Developing a Visual Voice through Valentines. She developed 12 valentines, including a thistle inspired by Andrew Carnegie’s motto: My heart is in the work.
When the U.S. Postal Service’s Art Director Antonio Alcalá stumbled upon Cassetti’s blog, www.qcassetti.com, a few years later, the valentines inspired him to commission her to create the 2014 version of the Love Stamp. Cassetti, who owns an upstate New York design company, Luckystone Partners, says she was thrilled: “It’s love; who wouldn’t want to be associated with that?!”
The unveiling of her stamp design, a heart inspired by Mexican cut paper flags, is taking place on this ultra-gray New York City day. Taking a cue from Cassetti’s inspiration, attendees are invited to sit at the tables and make their own creations using the Cassetti heart.
During the limited edition love stamp’s one-year lifespan, it will be used for any and all gestures of love—valentines, birthdays, weddings, bar mitzvahs … The postal service expects to issue 50 million hearts from Valentine’s Day to Valentine’s Day.
