Hartford Art School MFA student Dale Stephanos recently illustrated the Betty White Forever postage stamp for USPS, which debuted on March 27. Stephanos is currently finishing up the MFA illustration program this summer and is expected to be awarded his degree in the fall.
The stamp celebrates Betty White’s decades-long entertainment career and her advocacy for animals, an element subtly woven into the design (hint, look at the shape of her earring). According the USPS, the collectable Forever stamp “honors beloved American actress and comedienne Betty White (1922-2021), whose impish smile is depicted on the stamp and lit up performances in a career that spanned more than 60 years.”
Stephanos drew inspiration from a digital portrait of White by Kwaku Alston in 2010, where Alston’s photograph shows White in the later part of her career, wearing red. This was used for reference, and ultimately Stephanos changed the colors and style, showing White dressed in purple instead of red to reflect a deeper part of White’s legacy. Additionally, he integrated White’s animal advocacy, with the meaningful detail that can be seen on her right ear in the portrait. In a recent interview with today.com, Stephanos thinks of these stamps as ‘little pieces of art” that “dress up our correspondence.”
Stephanos is an award-winning illustrator, painter, and artist. In addition to the Betty White stamp, he will add three more USPS stamps to his credit by the end of 2026. His artwork has appeared on magazine covers, including Sports Illustrated, MAD Magazine and Newsweek, and within many national newspapers.
The stamp can be viewed here.