Thank you for this thoughtful article. It is heartwarming that CLE Flag is presenting the historic flag and its creator so respectfully. As I contemplate the story of my great-grandmother, I feel she never fully got the recognition for her design that she deserved. As a young, female art prodigy, I suspect there were feelings of misogyny about her beating out several male finalists in the design contest in 1895. In 1946, during Cleveland’s sesquicentennial celebration, the flag came under attack from veterans groups stating that flying any other flag than the Stars and Stripes was unpatriotic. When I became aware of this project last May, this contest was launched, declaring the current design is outdated and unattractive. I think it would be impossible in this day and age to come up with a design that appeals to everyone who loves Cleveland. I had to block out social media these past months as my great-grandmother (who died in 1961) was being mocked and her design was being made fun of. Symbolic design is not all that easy. Now I’m seeing fresh comments stating one of these designs belongs on a Starbucks cup, another looks like a Seattle Seahawks theme Mastercard, or one flag looks like it represents the Chicago Cubs. There are plenty of opinions and misunderstandings to go around when looking at these designs, so I think it’s important that we consider all points of view while trying to determine what best represents our city. I’d like to thank CLE Flag for bringing awareness and respect to the flag that has represented Cleveland these past 128 years.
It's too bad none of the designs reflect the things I think of most when I think of Cleveland. First, the Guardians of Transportation (I know the baseball team uses them too, but they are still a really good representation), the iconic Hueletts (which now no one knows about since the last one is about to be scrapped, but for generations they WERE the Port of Cleveland), and lastly the very diverse melting pot that is Cleveland. These desings make no sense to me.
Thank you for this thoughtful article. It is heartwarming that CLE Flag is presenting the historic flag and its creator so respectfully. As I contemplate the story of my great-grandmother, I feel she never fully got the recognition for her design that she deserved. As a young, female art prodigy, I suspect there were feelings of misogyny about her beating out several male finalists in the design contest in 1895. In 1946, during Cleveland’s sesquicentennial celebration, the flag came under attack from veterans groups stating that flying any other flag than the Stars and Stripes was unpatriotic. When I became aware of this project last May, this contest was launched, declaring the current design is outdated and unattractive. I think it would be impossible in this day and age to come up with a design that appeals to everyone who loves Cleveland. I had to block out social media these past months as my great-grandmother (who died in 1961) was being mocked and her design was being made fun of. Symbolic design is not all that easy. Now I’m seeing fresh comments stating one of these designs belongs on a Starbucks cup, another looks like a Seattle Seahawks theme Mastercard, or one flag looks like it represents the Chicago Cubs. There are plenty of opinions and misunderstandings to go around when looking at these designs, so I think it’s important that we consider all points of view while trying to determine what best represents our city. I’d like to thank CLE Flag for bringing awareness and respect to the flag that has represented Cleveland these past 128 years.
It's too bad none of the designs reflect the things I think of most when I think of Cleveland. First, the Guardians of Transportation (I know the baseball team uses them too, but they are still a really good representation), the iconic Hueletts (which now no one knows about since the last one is about to be scrapped, but for generations they WERE the Port of Cleveland), and lastly the very diverse melting pot that is Cleveland. These desings make no sense to me.
Do you think that the original has some of the aspects you'd want to see in a flag?