Utah is now one step closer to getting a new state flag.
On Sept. 8, the Utah Department of Cultural & Community Engagement released 20 semifinal designs as part of the ongoing “More Than A Flag” initiative, started by Gov. Spencer Cox on Jan. 19, 2022.
The finalists are “inspired by Utahns’ ideas and anchored by Utah’s shared values.” The initiative’s website lists similar themes and symbols found in all the designs: such as pioneers, Beehive, national parks, Great Salt Lake, sego lily and Delicate Arch.
Each of the finalists has a design explanation and plays with hues of blue, orange, red, gold and white, which the website says “plays a large role in building a visual language for Utah’s next flag.”
The process to create “Utah’s ‘People Flag’” is an ongoing effort from the Utah State Flag Task Force. After the initiative was started, residents were asked to submit “ideas for colors and symbols or drawings of flag designs.”
In 2021, a survey found 21% of Utah residents strongly supported redesigning the state flag, while 24% strongly opposed it. The remaining 29% neither supported nor opposed it.
The state’s flag was altered three times before launching as the Governor’s flag in 1903 — a blue flag featuring the state’s seal. The current state flag was adopted in February 2011 and is similar, except for an added gold circle around the seal.
Now, the design review committee has selected the finalists after working with flag artists and is seeking feedback through a SurveyMonkey form on them until Oct. 5, 2022. The form features a sliding scale that asks how well each design represents Utahns and a comment box on why they think so.
From there, four to six flags will be presented to the task force, led by Gov. Spencer Cox and Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson. The final design will be presented to the Legislature later this fall.
A pop-up exhibition of the semifinalists will be on display after a press conference at the Utah State Capitol on Sept. 22, 2022. There will be similar exhibitions in Logan and Cedar City.
Click here to vote in our unofficial poll on the new flag designs.
Follow @palak_jayswal