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Mar 28, 2023‘A great city deserves a great flag.’ Ann Arbor’s new city flag unveiled - mlive.com
Oct 29, 2024Dennis Scherdt, left, and Mayor Christopher Taylor unveil Ann Arbor's new city flag designed by Scherdt at the City Council meeting Sept. 3, 2024. (Ryan Stanton | MLive.com)Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News
ANN ARBOR, MI — Ann Arbor has unveiled a new official city flag residents can expect to see flying outside city hall soon.
Mayor Christopher Taylor announced the winner of the city’s flag design contest at the City Council meeting Tuesday night, Sept. 3, joining Ann Arborite Dennis Scherdt in holding up the new blue-and-green banner Scherdt designed.
“A great city deserves a great flag,” Taylor declared, adding he expects to have it displayed in the council chambers as well.
Mayor Christopher Taylor talks about Ann Arbor's new city flag while standing alongside Dennis Scherdt, who designed it, at the City Council meeting Sept. 3, 2024. (Ryan Stanton | MLive.com)Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News
“And as soon as I can get my hands on a sticker, you will see it on my laptop,” he said.
The new design represents Tree Town’s parks, trees and the Huron River, while a bur oak symbol at the center gives a nod to the official city seal on the old flag.
The tree symbolizes growth, community and environmental commitment, according to the designer.
Dennis Scherdt's winning design for a new Ann Arbor city flag.City of Ann Arbor
Taylor called for a new city flag over two years ago after hearing a TED Talk from 99% Invisible podcast host Roman Mars called “Why city flags may be the worst-designed thing you’ve never noticed.”
Taylor determined then the city’s old flag featuring the city seal and three yellow bars across a white background did not meet vexillological principles — vexillology being the study of flags. He suggested the new design should have simplicity, meaningful symbolism, two or three basic colors, distinctiveness and no lettering or seals.
The long history of Ann Arbor’s city flag, which once went to outer space
Taylor pointed to Chicago’s city flag — four red stars between two blue stripes on white — as an example of a good civic flag, a symbol proudly displayed throughout Chicago.
From left, Council Members Erica Briggs, Dharma Akmon and Jen Eyer react with smiles to the unveiling of Ann Arbor's new city flag at the City Council meeting Sept. 3, 2024. (Ryan Stanton | MLive.com)Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News
With the aim of enhancing civic pride as Ann Arbor celebrates its 200th anniversary in 2024, the city launched the flag design contest open to residents of all ages, drawing hundreds of submittals that were narrowed to five finalists for public input. A panel of judges led by Taylor then chose the winner.
There was an overwhelming preference for the winning design, said Taylor, who presented Scherdt with a mayoral coin Tuesday in appreciation of his contribution.
Mayor Christopher Taylor presents Dennis Scherdt with a mayoral coin in appreciation for Scherdt's winning design in the city's flag design contest at the City Council meeting Sept. 3, 2024. (Ryan Stanton | MLive.com)Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News
“I really love this town and our community and I’m proud to be from here, and I’m just really grateful and honored to have had the opportunity to make the next flag to represent our city,” Scherdt said, drawing applause from the crowd.
Scherdt is a 2011 graduate of Ann Arbor Public Schools, having been dual enrolled at Pioneer High and Community High. He studied graphic design at Washtenaw Community College and has since worked as a senior designer and now web developer at Studio 32, a local creative design and marketing agency.
Dennis Scherdt, left, and Mayor Christopher Taylor unveil Ann Arbor's new city flag designed by Scherdt at the City Council meeting Sept. 3, 2024. (Ryan Stanton | MLive.com)Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News
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