Nevada Statehood stamp will show Valley of Fire state park

The design for the Nevada Statehood stamp to be issued May 29 was unveiled in mid-April by the United States Postal Service.

Nevada artist Ron Spears created the stamp illustration that shows a scene from Valley of Fire State Park near the town of Overton.

“Captured by Spears at dawn, the sandstone formations glow in shades of brilliant reds and yellows — a result of various quantities of iron in the rock — highlighted by deep purple and blue shadows,” stated the U.S. Postal Service description of the stamp design. “The colors contrast dramatically with the whiteness of the silica in the foreground.”

The official first-day ceremony for the Nevada Statehood commemorative forever stamp will take place at 11 a.m. at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts, 361 Symphony Park Ave., in Las Vegas.

The state celebrates its 150th anniversary on Oct. 31.

The stamp will be issued in a pane of 20.