https://flagforportland.me/blog daily 0.75 2021-06-14 https://flagforportland.me/blog/2021/6/14/flag-day-2021 monthly 0.5 2021-06-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c210168297114272ba23028/1623681958773-70J0LJVZO839UL4S89Q5/Safe%2Bin%2BPort%2BFlag.jpg Blog - Flag Day 2021 - Make it stand out Whether or not the Safe in Port Flag is eventually adopted as Portland’s city flag, we believe it is a better symbol for our community than the current flag. Contact us if you’d like a physical version to fly. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c210168297114272ba23028/1623682639452-M1KU1VZWAWSEIVF0NUA7/Juneteenth+2021.jpg Blog - Flag Day 2021 - Make it stand out We are currently flying the Juneteenth Flag, commemorating a most significant, but little discussed, moment in our nation’s history. More details here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juneteenth https://flagforportland.me/blog/2021/02/16/safe-in-port monthly 0.5 2021-03-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c210168297114272ba23028/1608705644019-8TU6DND4KB0YMQ6X1LTP/Safe+Harbor.jpg Blog - Safe in Port in 2021 The Safe in Port Flag for Portland, Maine https://flagforportland.me/blog/2021/1/9/pride-in-our-city monthly 0.5 2021-03-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c210168297114272ba23028/1610241177208-UM4GTUJ4V1GINKOINKEC/Pride+City+Hall.jpg Blog - Pride in our city Portland City Hall lit up in Pride colors. Image from city website. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c210168297114272ba23028/1610241486574-D6FFEK2GXASVWZG1FNUN/history-of-the-pride-flag-lgbtq-my-f-opinion.png Blog - Pride in our city Hey, you, just pick one and display it. I promise you, your LGBTQ+ friend, coworker, or neighbor won’t care if it’s not the latest and greatest version. (Image from My F Opinion) For more on the history and meaning behind the Pride flag, I send you to our friends at Wikipedia. https://flagforportland.me/blog/2020/4/12/easter-reflections-rebirth-and-resurgam monthly 0.5 2021-03-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c210168297114272ba23028/1586703275509-PQJZD551E9X06YDSNA5V/Heart+of+it+All.JPG Blog - Easter Reflections: Rebirth and Resurgam The Heart of it All flag https://flagforportland.me/blog/2019/6/12/flag-day-2019 monthly 0.5 2021-03-23 https://flagforportland.me/blog/2019/5/10/bicentennial-flag-options monthly 0.5 2021-03-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c210168297114272ba23028/1557540921785-945VV2K3DMO45L5R6Y9U/bicentennial+plate.jpg Blog - A Flag 200 Years in the Making? The commemorative license plate that was conveniently released in the same month that I accidentally destroyed my “chickadee” front plate. Must have been fate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c210168297114272ba23028/1557542512999-FCIE5V8N8I8WS2IOF6IG/Dunlap+Flag.jpg Blog - A Flag 200 Years in the Making? A well intentioned concept, but lacking pizazz https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c210168297114272ba23028/1557544686195-CCZZHT3ZXYQPZ2YGO1SI/Original+ME+Varient.jpg Blog - A Flag 200 Years in the Making? The most ambitious design, but it has some major drawbacks https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c210168297114272ba23028/1557541741041-GIKVO03DINFBXGOMNTAJ/Logo+Flag.jpg Blog - A Flag 200 Years in the Making? No. Just no. https://flagforportland.me/blog/2019/3/22/the-story-of-a-seal monthly 0.5 2021-03-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c210168297114272ba23028/1553293706528-884BGXRBU2TI5QUIBNO3/Seal+of+Portland.gif Blog - The Story of Our Seal https://flagforportland.me/blog/2019/3/4/symbolically-speaking monthly 0.5 2021-03-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c210168297114272ba23028/1551754972725-0MN4OAJP81XD8OET06UJ/US+Flag+as+Maine+only.jpg Blog - Symbolically speaking, a flag is worth the effort I mean, it’s got all the qualities of a great flag, right? It’s blue… and has the seal… and… erm. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c210168297114272ba23028/1551755604115-C3AKGO1QBG6GXF8BBCAC/US+Flag+as+Portland+only.jpg Blog - Symbolically speaking, a flag is worth the effort There we go, unquestionably belongs to the US of A… though now I’m wondering why we bother with that seal when we could free up more space for text. https://flagforportland.me/blog/2019/2/15/dirigo monthly 0.5 2021-03-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c210168297114272ba23028/1550276402955-35C9T2XBZIC6VM0RLZLY/originalmaineflag-resized.jpg Blog - Dirigo! A version of the original flag of the State of Maine (sometimes called the 1901 flag for the year of its adoption). Note that the exact image of the tree would probably vary depending on the technique used to manufacture the flag. Image source: Maine Flag Company https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c210168297114272ba23028/1550276609374-GATA447ZUVMKPKWQ8QK1/FlagofMaineStateFlag.jpg Blog - Dirigo! The current flag of the State of Maine. Notice it also has a pine tree and the north star… and a couple dudes, a moose, and some text for good measure. Kind of a lot of detail crammed into a little area, no? Image Source: www.statesymbolsusa.org https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c210168297114272ba23028/1550277986614-6S49CQMEXVA8TBPP9RHQ/Palm+and+Crescent.png Blog - Dirigo! Image Source: Wikipedia https://flagforportland.me/blog/2019/1/19/we-need-a-process-not-just-a-contest monthly 0.5 2021-03-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c210168297114272ba23028/1547949757466-028B5BBPW6QQ7E2Z4VB7/Flag_of_Milwaukee%2C_Wisconsin.png Blog - We Need A Process, Not Just A Contest Milwaukee’s current flag was the result of a 1950’s design contest where instead of picking a single winner, they just combined their favorite elements from multiple submittals (I’m not even joking). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c210168297114272ba23028/1547949347337-YIAERITTWF77D58SY3E0/Portland+Beacon.jpg Blog - We Need A Process, Not Just A Contest Portland Beacon the winning design of the BDN contest, created by Matthew Morey https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c210168297114272ba23028/1547951421576-LHT92ALE1PFXD7YSUX9L/Peoples-Flag-of-Milwaukee.png Blog - We Need A Process, Not Just A Contest The People’s Flag of Milwaukee won the online poll, but not the support of the city aldermen. https://flagforportland.me/blog/2018/12/30/new-year-new-flag monthly 0.5 2021-03-23 https://flagforportland.me/blog/category/Portland monthly 0.5 https://flagforportland.me/blog/category/Announcemnts monthly 0.5 https://flagforportland.me/blog/category/Announcements monthly 0.5 https://flagforportland.me/blog/tag/Milwaukee monthly 0.5 https://flagforportland.me/blog/tag/Portland monthly 0.5 https://flagforportland.me/blog/tag/Original+Maine+Flag monthly 0.5 https://flagforportland.me/blog/tag/Flag+critique monthly 0.5 https://flagforportland.me/blog/tag/Maine monthly 0.5 https://flagforportland.me/blog/tag/Process monthly 0.5 https://flagforportland.me/blog/tag/1901+Flag monthly 0.5 https://flagforportland.me/blog/tag/Heart+of+it+All monthly 0.5 https://flagforportland.me/blog/tag/New+Flag monthly 0.5 https://flagforportland.me/blog/tag/Power+of+Flags monthly 0.5 https://flagforportland.me/blog/tag/Resurgam monthly 0.5 https://flagforportland.me/blog/tag/Great+Moments+in+Design monthly 0.5 https://flagforportland.me/blog/tag/Important+History monthly 0.5 https://flagforportland.me/blog/tag/Maine+Bicentennial monthly 0.5 https://flagforportland.me/blog/tag/Phoenix monthly 0.5 https://flagforportland.me/blog/tag/solidarity monthly 0.5 https://flagforportland.me/blog/tag/Safe+Harbor monthly 0.5 https://flagforportland.me/blog/tag/Contest monthly 0.5 https://flagforportland.me/blog/tag/Flag+Day monthly 0.5 https://flagforportland.me/blog/tag/Safe+in+Port monthly 0.5 https://flagforportland.me/blog/tag/Flag+For+Portland monthly 0.5 https://flagforportland.me/blog/tag/LGBTQ%2B monthly 0.5 https://flagforportland.me/home daily 1.0 2023-04-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c210168297114272ba23028/1546029816203-XJE13MV1XHO3ROQFOIJB/Portland+Seal+on+a+Bedsheet.jpg Home Classic Seal-On-A-Bedsheet (aka- SOB) flag design. Source: Bangor Daily News/The Archangel Committee https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c210168297114272ba23028/1546642090251-Q448J7R6YAJ64EDRX17Z/State+Theater.png Home Portland’s historic State Theater on a quiet evening. Courtesy of Nick Kaufmann https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c210168297114272ba23028/1546030561992-JFGNPAMTJVRSN2KHTJCM/Portland+Seal+%2B+Resurgam.jpg Home Oh great, now we have a seal AND separate text. Source: Bangor Daily News https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c210168297114272ba23028/1546031680522-KT6PN618V840332KABMN/Portland+Seal+%2B+Double+Resurgam.jpg Home We have so much text on our flag that we need punctuation. It’s a flag, not an essay. Courtesy of Corey Templeton Photography https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c210168297114272ba23028/1547257183119-FD9HHJ2L563QQXVC2JIV/We+Can+Do+Better.png Home One variant of the City of Portland’s current flag. Because there is no official definition dictating the layout, you can actually find multiple versions of the flag. Source: Flags of the World https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c210168297114272ba23028/1613527788762-FMC0LRISWSOTXPEXANQR/Safe+in+Port+Flag.jpg Home The Safe in Port Flag crams a lot of meaning into a simple and clear design. You can learn more about the design and details here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c210168297114272ba23028/1546641825297-MU3THSJPIS52JOYDQ186/Congress+Square+Park.png Home Portlanders take in a movie screening at Congress Square Park. Courtesy of Nick Kaufmann https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c210168297114272ba23028/1546792381380-9L32YOSJZK70MW3YQZ67/IMG_0196.JPG Home https://flagforportland.me/press daily 0.75 2021-12-05 https://flagforportland.me/contact daily 0.75 2019-01-11 https://flagforportland.me/faq daily 0.75 2021-02-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c210168297114272ba23028/1546053419681-HCRW2OVCH6ZMMYYNX52I/IMG_3637.jpg FAQ - 1. Keep It Simple The flag should be so simple that a child can draw it from memory. Well, we didn’t have a child handy, but the full-grown adult editor of this website, who has spent an inordinate amount of time studying the flag tried to draw it from memory. Let’s just say the details of the seal are a bit much to try to reproduce. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c210168297114272ba23028/1546054409950-P95QTA80CJ7ZYNOHUV91/Annotated+Flag.png FAQ - 2. Use Meaningful Symbolism The flag’s images, colors, or patterns should relate to what it symbolizes. To be fair, the City Seal has some strong symbolism, assuming you were able to decipher the somewhat cryptic representations of the phoenix and dolphins. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c210168297114272ba23028/1546056213312-N955CJUBIIUG48H6F5H9/Seal+Color+Samples.gif FAQ - 3. Use 2-3 Basic Colors Limit the number of colors on the flag to three, which contrast well and come from the standard color set. The flag achieves this goal, but mostly by simplifying the City Seal down to a more-or-less monochromatic design. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c210168297114272ba23028/1546055151950-Q504TIAONNP37QO4IJBW/Portland+Flag+Image.gif FAQ - 4. No Lettering or Seals Never use writing of any kind or an organization’s seal. Obvious fail here. The fine details and imagery of the seal is suited for static images, not flapping flags. The text adds complexity to making the flag 2-sided, is hard to read when flying, and ultimately is a tacit admission that the symbolism of the imagery has failed, the flag essentially needs a caption. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c210168297114272ba23028/1546055525609-5V5VR5PH1P543Y09WPQZ/Seals-on-Blue-Fields-660x445.jpg FAQ - 5. Be Distinctive or Be Related Avoid duplicating other flags, but use similarities to show connections. The image above shows a sampling of state flags (including Maine’s) that take the same basic design premise: Seal-on-a-blue-background. Maybe the text was added to Portland’s flag to differentiated it from Maine’s flag, but certainly no points for originality. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c210168297114272ba23028/1613528197691-1PCNS1R24XPP8KDEJAIN/Safe+in+Port+Flag.jpg FAQ https://flagforportland.me/submit-an-idea daily 0.75 2019-01-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c210168297114272ba23028/1547256446222-VSKUSSAMHCXDCIID53LD/Portland+Wall.jpg Submit an Idea Asylum graffiti wall (RIP). Courtesy of Nathan Miller https://flagforportland.me/new-page daily 0.75 2020-09-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c210168297114272ba23028/1546786195756-FZMA5EH7L763UREDU1N5/City+Hall+Night.jpg New Page Portland City Hall bathed in pink by its decorative lighting system. https://flagforportland.me/email-list daily 0.75 2019-01-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c210168297114272ba23028/1547255309697-ZJGY1YLUK49A90DBTXP9/Rail+Bridge.jpg New Page Narrow Gauge Railroad Bridge at Sunset. Courtesy of Sarah C Hines https://flagforportland.me/new-page-1 daily 0.75 2019-01-11 https://flagforportland.me/thanks-for-submitting daily 0.75 2019-01-11 https://flagforportland.me/safe-in-port daily 0.75 2023-04-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c210168297114272ba23028/1613529238121-8OCLYX038YM2PO9SL13K/Contemporary+Meaning.gif Safe in Port https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c210168297114272ba23028/1613529220888-LOEAOWNMV7GVDC1BANCA/Historical+Inspiration.gif Safe in Port