Flag frenzy: Spokane seeks proposals for new city banner

Calling all vexillologists.

Spokane is putting out the call for submissions of a new city flag this month, hoping to replace the current iteration with a simpler, inclusive and eye-catching design that can proudly wave above City Hall.

The city’s Flag Commission expects something in the neighborhood of 500 proposals from vexillologists, or people who study flags, from around the world.

“We don’t know entirely what we’re looking for exactly until we start seeing it,” said Joshua Hiler, chairman of the city’s Flag Commission.

The city will accept design submissions from today through midnight on Oct. 1. The design should be unique and “reflective of Spokane’s diverse community.”

Following the submission process, the city’s 10-member Flag Commission will toss out proposals that did not adhere to the rules. It will then look to the public for help, via a nonbinding public online poll, to narrow the pool to between five and 10 finalists.

The finalists will be sent back to the public for a final online poll, this time open only to Spokane residents. Ultimately, the Spokane City Council must approve of the flag.

The Flag Commission was formed earlier this year with backing from Spokane City Councilwoman Kate Burke. Monday’s announcement is the culmination of the commission’s first several months of meetings, in which members worked to outline a process to replacing the city flag.

Although it has not yet formally voted on the design parameters and guidelines, the Flag Commission is looking for something straightforward, but that stands out in a crowd, Hiler said. A design, for example, in which “you can immediately tell that this is not the flag of Austria, but also isn’t overdone.”

The commission has the right, Hiler noted, to alter submissions. For example, if it receives three similar designs, it could blend them all into a single proposal.

It will replace the city’s current flag, which borders on a parody of what modern vexillologists detest – it features a row of four small stick figures in a black circle and the words “children of the sun” in a font barely legible from a distance. In the lower-right quadrant, it reads “City of Spokane.”

Spokane’s current flag was adopted in the 1970s and has rarely been displayed in recent years. That replaced a flag from the 1950s that displayed the Monroe Street Bridge, the city’s skyline and emphasized Spokane’s Lilac City moniker.

“Yes, they’re unique, but they’re also way too complex,” Hiler said.

There is a particular emphasis on youth involvement.

“As a young person in Spokane, I see a lack of pride in our community. This process and the selection of a new flag is so exciting and I hope it gets our young people more involved and encourages them to speak out about changes that affect their city,” said Scyla Dowd, a commission member, in a prepared statement.Adam Shanks can be reached at (509) 459-5136 or adams@spokesman.com