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Statement from The CLE Flag Project on Public Vote:

August 12, 2024

We are thrilled to announce that our Flag Selection Committee, composed of Clevelanders from a variety of backgrounds and opinions, has selected the top three flag designs from over 570 submissions. These designs, which we believe will our community will embrace and rally around, will now be presented alongside the current Cleveland flag for public voting.

Over the past two weeks, our Committee has diligently reviewed submissions, focusing on design elements and symbolism that resonate with the essence of our city. They were supported in this endeavor by our Advisory Panel of professional designers from AIGA Cleveland, whose insights were invaluable in selecting our three finalists this past weekend. These finalists were informed of their design’s selection ahead of the launch of the public vote.

We couldn’t have gotten to this stage of our initiative without the support of thousands of Clevelanders that we have spoken with at events around the city over the last several months. We also want to extend special thanks to our Committee for putting in many hours of work and dedication to the selection process, which we believe was fair and done with Cleveland’s best interests at heart.

We look forward to continuing to engage with Clevelanders all across the city over the next several weeks as we get out the vote and seek out your feedback. It remains our primary objective to give our community the voice it deserves in choosing the symbol to represent Cleveland through its continued renaissance and beyond.

Keep up with our progress on Instagram @CLEflag

Questions or feedback? Email us at info@cleflag.org

CREATING A NEW FLAG WITH THE COMMUNITY OF CLEVELAND.

THE CLE FLAG PROJECT


We are an organization of passionate Clevelanders whose mission is to research, commission, and introduce a new city flag that embodies Cleveland’s spirit of progress and prosperity while representing the diversity and inclusivity of our vibrant community. Through this symbol, we aim to inspire pride and unity, fostering a shared sense of belonging and representation for all community members as we embark on the next phase of our city's growth and development.

OUR MISSION

OUR TEAM

While our team is made up of three different groups, they all work closely together toward one goal — to create a unifying symbol for the city of Cleveland.

1

FLAG SELECTION COMMITTEE

The members of our flag selection committee include local Cleveland figures and business owners who represent the diverse perspectives and cultures of our city. Following the submission deadline on July 19th, the committee will narrow down flag design submissions to the top three that they believe represent the city of Cleveland most effectively.

2

ADVISORY BOARD

The advisory board includes professional designers and vexillologists (flag experts) who provide guidance to the project to ensure that the design competition is orchestrated fairly, working closely with the contest winners and project volunteers to guarantee artist rights and compensation.

3

VOLUNTEERS

This is a grassroots organization, meaning that it was created by a group of passionate Cleveland citizens that volunteer their time, efforts and talents to keep the project going. They are responsible for the logistics — working with city council, marketing, fundraising, media and design, event coordinating and most importantly, advocating for the direct involvement of our city.

THE PROCESS

At the CLE Flag Project, we make inclusivity a top priority by accepting flag designs from all greater Clevelanders and assembling a Flag Selection Committee that is representative of Cleveland’s diverse cultures and communities. As part of our commitment to honor Cleveland’s heritage, Susan Hepburn’s original city flag will be included in the final vote with the top three designs selected by the committee, ensuring that our past enriches our future vision.

CONTEST

SURVEY

VOTE

COMMITTEE

UNVEIL

OUR PAST ENRICHES OUR FUTURE VISION.

1895

The official municipal symbols for Cleveland were adopted—the city’s flag, motto, and ceremonial seal. The city’s flag came to be when New York journalist, Julian Ralph, proposed the idea to William Stokely, a reporter with The Plain Dealer. After visiting Cleveland, Ralph was impressed with the city’s civic spirit and was surprised a city flag did not already exist.

To engage Cleveland citizens in the selection of the flag, Ralph, Stokely and city leaders held a municipal flag design contest through The Plain Dealer. In October of 1895, following two dozen submissions, 18-year-old Susan Hepburn was named the prize-winning designer.

You’ve seen us online and on social media, now come see us in person! We are tabling at a variety of events in and around the Cleveland area and our volunteers will be happy to greet you and tell you more about our project!

CHECK OUT OUR UPCOMING EVENTS!

DO IT YOURSELF!

Download flyers, templates and forms to contribute to our project or spread the word!

FOLLOW US!