Join in the excitement!
In conjunction with Pekin’s Bicentennial and Coordinated by the City Beautification Committee, the City of Pekin is holding a City Flag Design Contest! This exciting initiative aims to foster civic pride, uniting the community around an official symbol representative of Pekin’s rich history and promising future.
Over the past 3 months, Pekinites of all ages were invited to showcase their creativity and participate in the contest. We are now pleased to present to the public the 3 design finalists! All those who live, work, attend school, or own real estate property within the geographic boundaries of zip code 61554 are welcome to vote below on their favorite design!
Each eligible voter may vote only once.
Finalists:
“In this design, the flag is broken up into multiple sections. The light and dark orange curved stripes represent the importance of Pekin’s agriculture and prairie land. The light and dark green section represents the well-kept, beautiful parks, golf courses and natural woodland in Pekin. The red section is illustrated in the shape of a “P”, a nod to the name of Pekin. The color red is one of Pekin’s core colors. Placing the marigold in the center of the upper section of the “P” represents the important impact and history the marigold flower has on the city of Pekin. The curvy white shapes that join each section of the design represent the Illinois river as well as the amazing trails that exist in Pekin.”
A radical redesign of the Pekin flag, the flag features a horizontal fess with a stylized marigold, the city’s flower in the center of a crest. The colors of the fess: red, white, and blue in turn represent our Pekin spirit (red), our state’s flag (white), and the Illinois River (blue).
The flag design prominently features the marigold, a long standing symbol of the City of Pekin. In general, marigolds represent affection, joy, optimism, and positivity, traits the City of Pekin and its citizens strive to represent. This allows the marigold to remain a relevant symbol for many years to come. The use of an orange-yellow for the color not only ties into the color of marigolds, but also allows the flag to be distinctive from other city, state, and government flags which generally use primary color pallets and its overall design would be readable and distinctive from a distance while becoming more interesting in close-up. The flag can be hung horizontally, vertically, or upside down without compromising any of its design elements. The design was crafted so it can easily transition into other uses such as on signage, letterhead, apparel and be used as a logo/symbol that represents the City of Pekin.
City of Pekin Flag Design Contest Rules
Contest participants are limited to those who live, work, or attend school within the geographic boundaries of zip code 61554. Should a question regarding eligibility arise, participant information will be verified via official Tazewell County records. Pekin based students attending colleges or universities abroad are also able to participate.
Contest entry is free.
Participants may submit flag design entries in digital format or hard copy format. Participants must complete and submit a City of Pekin Flag Design Contest Entry Form with each entry. An online entry submission form as well as a downloadable (print) form is available at discoverpekin.com/flag. Hard copies are also available at Pekin City Hall and the Pekin Public Library.
Digital entries should be submitted via our online form at discoverpekin.com/flag. Entries should be 7.5 in wide x 4.5 in high. Each digital entry must be submitted separately. Participants may submit up to 3 different design entries.
Hard copy/paper entries may be dropped off or mailed to Pekin City Hall, Attn: Flag Contest, 111 S. Capitol St. Pekin, Illinois 61554. Each entry, up to 3, must be on a separate entry form.
Design entries must be original work and must not include, be based on, or derived from any third-party designs, trademarks, or copyrighted images. All submitted entries may be
modified, reproduced, and published at the City’s discretion. Participants are encouraged to explain their design and how it symbolizes the City of Pekin.
Entries must be received by 5pm on Thursday, August 15, 2024, to be eligible for consideration. The City of Pekin is not responsible for computer or connectivity problems. The City of Pekin shall make a good-faith effort to retrieve all entries, but the City of Pekin is not responsible for entries that are lost, overlooked, damaged, not received by the contest deadline, or not able to be uploaded due to computer or internet difficulties.
Design Suggestions
The following are suggestions from the North American Vexillological Association (NAVA) on good flag design. More information is available at https://nava.org.
– Keep It Simple – The flag should be so simple that a child can draw it from memory.
– Use Meaningful Symbolism – The flag’s images, colors, or patterns should relate to our community.
– Use 2 or 3 Basic Colors – Limit the number of colors on the flag to three which contrast well.
– No Lettering or Seals – Avoid writing of any kind or the County seal.
– Be Distinctive or Be Related – Avoid duplicating other flags, but use similarities to show connections.
– Consider Real-World Structure – Imagine how the flag will look in a variety of locations and sizes.
Winning Artwork
Digital artwork may be submitted in various formats, though PDF, PNG, or JPEG is preferred. Winning artwork will be digitized if it was submitted in hard copy. By participating in this contest, the artist acknowledges that should their flag design win, anyone will have the right to freely use, copy, modify, and share the flag. The winning artist will be recognized with the flag at the unveiling ceremony, on the City of Pekin’s website, and on the City of Pekin’s social media channels. Plus, they can officially call themself a vexillographer (creator of flags).
Voting
The City of Pekin Beautification Committee, collaborating with art, design, and vexillological advisors, will judge the entries and narrow down choices to no more than 5. The public will then be invited to vote on those entries through an official online form. Digital access is available at the Pekin Public Library for residents who do not have internet access.
Timeline
Subject to change.
– June 15-August 15, 2024 – Entry period open
– August 16-31 – Entries are evaluated
– September 6-September 14 – Public voting on designs
– (Date TBD) – Adoption by City Council & Flag Dedication Event