Designer, 80, Puts Artistic Stamp on Commemorative U.S. Postage

You could that say Ren Wicks has left his stamp on America.

The Beverly Hills resident spent more than two years designing the Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo commemorative stamp, which was commissioned by the U.S. Postal Service in recognition of the anniversary of the Portuguese explorer’s landing at San Diego Bay in 1542.

Last month, the Postal Service unveiled Wicks’ design during a ceremony at the Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego.

The design process was a long one. Because no portraits of Cabrillo existed, Wicks had to create a composite portrait, research historical costumes of the period and design a colorful background.

“I take all the elements, and we know it is honoring a certain guy, so the portrait had to focus on him,” the 80-year-old grandfather said. “And, the costume had to be exact, and I dressed the guy 15 to 20 ways to produce a sketch.”

After numerous sketches of the portrait were sent to the citizens advisory committee of the Postal Service, a final version was chosen and put into production. The 29-cent stamp is now sold nationwide and features a large portrait of the bearded explorer complete with a map and sailing ship in the background.

Wicks is also the creator of the crossed flags stamp that celebrated America’s bicentennial.

His other designs include stamps honoring inventor Igor Sikorsky and California playwright William Saroyan. “The U.S. Postal Service is bringing in subject matter that appeals to everyone,” he said. “It is functional as well as historical and (the stamps) cover the entire spectrum of humanity.”

Wicks’ artistic career began more than 70 years ago at the age of 8. The New York native knew that he wanted to be an artist and after graduating from high school, he studied at Art Center College of Design and Kann Institute in Los Angeles. Between classes, he worked in an art studio.

Wicks’ work has not all been destined for the corner of an envelope.

His early work includes the famous movie poster of Jane Russell for “The Outlaw,” one of a succession of personal commissions for Howard Hughes.

He was also involved in the production of instructional handbooks for pilots of Lockheed’s P-38 fighter and Hudson bomber during World War II. After the war he continued to produce projects for the aerospace industry and illustrations for magazine advertisements.

Today his designs continue to influence aviation and space exploration. Because of his special understanding of aviation, NASA asked Wicks to create a mixed media painting of the orbiter Endeavour after its maiden flight in mid-1992. The painting will be hung sometime later this year in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington.

Wicks has no plans to retire or scale back his busy work schedule any time in the near future.

“I feed off this stuff and I like taking on big projects,” he said. “I love what I do.”

Karen Howard has been appointed executive director of the UCLA UniCamp, which is an educational and recreational program primarily for children from low-income families in the Los Angeles area.

Howard, who served as executive director of Family Service of Santa Monica for nine years before her appointment, is a licensed clinical social worker with a master’s degree from Columbia University. She has worked as a field instructor with students from the UCLA Graduate School of Social Welfare.

She is also a consultant to the Blind Children’s Center in Hollywood and the Westside Women’s Health Center in Santa Monica.

Brentwood resident Douglas Ring has been elected president of the board for the Los Angeles Board of Library Commissioners.

Ring, a partner in the law firm Gold, Marks, Ring & Pepper in Century City, has been a member of the governing body of the Los Angeles Public Library since 1989. He is also a member of the California and American library associations in addition to serving as a board member of the California Administrative Law College.

The American Cancer Society has named Dr. H. Rodney Wither as its American Cancer Society clinical research professor.

Wither, who was recognized for outstanding clinical cancer research, studies radiation biology and how it directly relates to radiation therapy.

He is chief of the experimental radiation oncology program and the department of radiology at the UCLA School of Medicine as well as a member of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer.

Beverly Hills Deputy Fire Chief Fred Tarquinio recently retired after more than 40 years of service to the city of Beverly Hills.

Tarquinio, who holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in public administration from USC, became deputy fire chief in 1988. He was the recipient of the 1992 Allen Grims Award for public service to the community and the 1992 Fire Chief’s Award for Professional Excellence from the city of Beverly Hills.