Margaret Bauer

Growing up in several East Coast cities, including New York, Washington, and Boston, Margaret Bauer acquired a love of art and architecture. She studied Russian history at Yale University and became enchanted with design when she took an introductory class during her senior year of college. Bauer went on to earn an M.F.A. in design from Yale as well.

She began her career as a researcher at the National Geographic Society. After graduate school, she worked in the design departments of WGBH Boston and Georgetown University. Focusing on book design, she spent 12 years in the Publishing Office of the National Gallery of Art, first as Senior Designer and then as Design Manager. Bauer brings her background in history to her design work. She writes, “I am always intrigued by the research side of design, and the discovery that comes with each new assignment.”

Bauer opened her own studio in 2007, working primarily as a book designer, creating exhibition catalogs for museums and galleries. Her clients have included the Museum of Modern Art, Yale University Press, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Walters Art Museum, and the National Gallery of Art. She has also taught Information Design at the Corcoran College of Art and Design in Washington, D.C.

Bauer has designed a wide range of stamps for the Postal Service, starting with the Georgia O’Keefe stamp (1996). She lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband, daughter, and Portuguese water dog.