CLEVELAND, Ohio — A recently founded Northeast Ohio non-profit is on a mission to create and commission a new flag that best represents the city of Cleveland.
The CLE Flag Project is encouraging residents to submit their best designs and participate in a contest that will ultimately help determine what the city's new flag should look like.
The public will vote on the final three best designs.
Members of the CLE Flag Project then plan to go before City Council and submit the winning design in hopes of getting the go-ahead for full-scale approval in the near future.
They are currently seeking open-minded thinkers with a creative design mindset.
They want folks who love this city to share their design concepts right now.
For 70-year-old long-time Cleveland resident Willie Brown, that saying 'You learn something new every day'—rings true.
"I don't see where people see it or show it. A lot of people don't know they really have a flag. I've never seen the Cleveland flag in my life," Brown said.
The Cleveland Flag Project aims to change that and bring recognition to the city of Cleveland.
They say a recently conducted survey of at least 600 people speaks volumes.
"The vast majority of people didn't even know we had a flag," Josh Harkleroad, Co-Organizer of CLE Flag Project, said.
"We just want the community to get engaged. We want them to submit flag designs. We're looking to schools to get their students involved too," Brian Lachman, Co-Organizer of CLE Flag Project, said.
Lachman, Harkleroad and other members of the grassroots group are on a mission to create and commission a new flag that will fly high on buildings and flag poles across the city—celebrating true CLE pride.
They say the concept came about well over a year ago, after they visited major metropolitan cities like Chicago and Washington D.C.
They say they noticed the city they loved and grew up in needed a more recognizable upgrade.
The original Cleveland flag was created back in 1895 after a teenage art student entered and won a contest in the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
"We love what she did, but we know there are other creatives out there. Clevelanders are passionate about Cleveland. Why don't we have this unifying symbol?" Lachman said.
Harkleroad truly puts on for his city and sports it with pride every day.
"I have the Rock Hall, LeBron, The Land, the map of Greater Cleveland," Harkleroad said.
His sleeve tattoo features all things Cleveland, including that crisp, undeniable skyline.
He hopes the flag submissions are the total embodiment of Cleveland.
However, after consulting with experts and doing countless hours of research—members of the non-profit stress a clean design with a few colors are key.
"A flag needs to be very simple. A flag needs to be easily recognizable and a second grader should be able to sit down and draw it," Lachman said.
"We're seeing lots of waves and trees and things like that. They're being represented on some of the designs," Harkleroad said.
A citywide search is underway as they launch the campaign and design contest.
The end product they hope will embody progress, prosperity and the true diversity of Clevelanders.
"If this is gonna get embraced by the city, it needs to come from the people of Cleveland and we need more community engagement," Lachman said.
The CLE Flag Project is currently seeking businesses and community members to further support fundraising efforts for the project.
They are also establishing a selection committee of Cleveland residents and business owners that will narrow down the submissions to the final three flags.
The public will vote.
They will then present the flag with the most votes to the Cleveland City Council for final approval in the future.
You have until July 19 to submit your entry online.
The CLE Flag Project is currently working directly with the North American Vexillological Association—which is an organization that studies flags.
The AVA suggests the best design submissions consist of a couple of vibrant colors, no clutter and a few symbols.
