Current City of Birmingham flag.The Birmingham Flag Project wants you to design a new flag for Birmingham.
Birmingham has a flag, but most people in and around the city and across the state probably have not seen it. Designed nearly a century ago, it is neither a well-designed flag nor a representative symbol of what Birmingham is now and aspires to be, organizers say.
The Birmingham Flag Project is an open competition aligned with Design Week Birmingham. The group believes that good design is a transformational tool, used to engage, connect and inspire.
As communities across the nation and around the world — from Portland, Oregon, to New Zealand — have joined together to redesign their flags, the Birmingham Flag Project invites creative individuals, artists, students and collaborative teams to reimagine the Birmingham city flag. Whether a longtime resident, visitor or newcomer to the Magic City, everyone is encouraged to apply.
The Birmingham Flag Project was inspired by the Design Week Birmingham 2014 Flag Design Workshop, led by Aaron Draplin of Draplin Design Co., who was the DWB keynote speaker and visiting artist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Art and Art History. UAB Department of Art and Art History’s Media and Outreach Coordinator Jared Ragland and Associate Professor Doug Barrett have collaborated with Design Week to carry out the project.
| The deadline for submitting a flag design is 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14. The top designs will be shared with the public for voting Thursday, Sept. 24. Voting closes Oct. 18, and votes can be cast online or at polling stations located across the city of Birmingham. The winning selection will be announced Oct. 24 during Design Week Birmingham’s closing event. |
During UAB’s 2014 flag workshop, students from Birmingham City Schools, UAB, Auburn University and University of Montevallo joined some of Birmingham’s top creative directors and designers to discuss flag design and draft new ideas for the Birmingham flag.
In the same spirit of community building and collaboration, the Birmingham Flag Project is dedicated to engaging each of Birmingham’s 99 neighborhoods and beyond through an open call for designs.
A panel of judges will jury submissions and select three to five top designs. From prominent design professionals to university professors, local tastemakers to civic leaders, the Birmingham Flag Project has invited a diverse jury that understands how a new flag can represent Birmingham’s complex identity and that is committed to helping shape its future.
The deadline for submitting a flag design is 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14. The top designs will be shared with the public for voting Thursday, Sept. 24. Voting closes Oct. 18, and votes can be cast online or at polling stations located across the city of Birmingham. The winning selection will be announced Oct. 24 during Design Week Birmingham’s closing event.
Each entry will be exhibited at the UAB Department of Art and Art History’s Project Space from Oct. 19-24, with an opening reception scheduled for 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20. Viewing hours for the exhibition are scheduled for 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday or by appointment. Project Space is located in the UAB Humanities Building at 900 13th Street South. For information or to schedule a visit, contact Project Space director Jared Ragland at raglandj@uab.edu.
Entry details, a media packet and educational resources can be found at www.bhmflagproject.com.
Design Week Birmingham is an annual citywide event inspired by the belief that good design matters. Each October, design professionals, artists and other creative individuals gather for lectures, film screenings, exhibitions and workshops to promote communication and collaboration and build lasting relationships across the design community.