New Minnesota state flag, seal designs: Here are the top submissions
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - The commission tasked with choosing the new Minnesota state flag narrowed down the state flag submissions to six during a meeting on Tuesday.
Members of the State Emblems Redesign Commission (SERC) each selected their top 25 choices from the hundreds of submissions and then narrowed it down further to the top six flags. Here they are:
The top five Minnesota seal designs are:
Earlier this month, the Minnesota Historical Society released the more than 2,600 designs submitted to the State Emblems Redesign Commission for the new flag and seal. The commission will eventually select a design or a modified version of the design to be used for each emblem. It is tasked with developing and adopting a new design for the official state seal and flag no later than Jan. 1, 2024.
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What the committee was looking for in design submissions
The current Minnesota flag. (FOX 9)
The committee was looking for various qualities in flag design submissions. Among them, per the state's website:
- Simplicity and Recognizability: The flag should be so simple that a child can draw it from memory and can be easily recognizable from a distance. It should be a flag that Minnesotans can proudly identify with.
- Distinctive Colors: Utilize a color palette that represents the state effectively. Blue, green, and white are often associated with Minnesota's natural beauty, while red and yellow can symbolize its vitality. Limit the number of colors on the flag to three to four, contrasting nicely and coming from the standard color set.
- Enduring Appeal: While honoring the state's history, the flag design should also represent Minnesota's enduring values and aspirations, emphasizing inclusivity and unity.
- Symbolism: The flag's images, icons, colors, and/or patterns should relate to what it symbolizes.
- Symmetry: The design should be symmetrical to a degree.
- Mandatory: Symbols, emblems, or likenesses that represent only a single community or person, regardless of whether real or stylized, may not be included in a design.