Lawton Artist Commissioned To Paint 2023 USPS Black Heritage Stamp

This year’s United States black heritage stamp is the work of Lawton artist Robert Peterson, but ten years ago no one had seen his work, not even him. 

“I stopped doing art class in like seventh grade because I was bored,” said Robert Peterson, the artist commissioned to paint the 2023 U.S. Postal Black heritage Stamp. 

He never picked up a paint brush again, until an accident. 

“I got injured on the job or injured before I went in to work should I say,” said Peterson. 

From the injury doctors suggested surgery, something that terrified Robert.  

“I was like I have to try something new to take my mind off of this and so I picked up a paint brush, something as simple as that,” said Peterson.  

He did his first art show eight months later and things have taken off from there. 

“Every show that I have done in maybe the last two or three years has sold out,” said Peterson. 

Peterson works out of his garage and other than the projects he’s currently working on, he has nothing that he has painted. 

“For the last maybe 30, 32, 36 months anything that I have created has sold and everything that I have created has sold, I have nothing left,” said Peterson.  

If you want to purchase his work at one of his shows, the advice is to get there early. 

“My solo show in New York opened in September, which sold out in 36 hours. I hopped on a flight, my wife and I went to LA and that show sold out the first day of the show,” said Peterson. 

His work is now featured all over the world in many art galleries and collections and has even been purchased by celebrities. 

“I mean there’s a few celebrities, but I try not to name drop celebrities, you know, I just don’t,” said Peterson. 

So, when he got a random email from someone with the US Postal Service, he almost sent it to spam, but decided to read it. 

“We really would be interested to see if you would be interested to be commissioned to paint a portrait of Earnest Gains for the 2023 Black Heritage stamp,” said Peterson.  

The entire process took over a year, and the morning the stamps became available Robert and his wife went to the post office. 

“When I held it in my hand, it was like man this is really real, that was the moment that I was like ‘thank you God,’” said Peterson.  

Things have really changed in just ten years, for the Lawton artist. 

“There’s really no explanation other than God, I believe everybody has a purpose and everybody was created to do something,” said Peterson. 

The actual painting that Peterson painted will be on display at the Philbrook museum in Tulsa until June, and then at some point the US post office will donate it to the Smithsonian. 

To see Peterson’s work or contact him, visit his Instagram page @caleblee81.