SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, Council Chair Chris Wharton, flag designers Arianna Meinking and Ella Kennedy-Yoon, Salt Lake City council members, and members of the Salt Lake City Flag Design Committee raised the city's new flag over City Hall Friday morning.
Mayor Mendenhall first announced plans to update the city's flag in May. The city launched a two-month design contest and urged students to submit their ideas.
The city received more than 600 entries,, and a committee narrowed it down. The flag had to meet principles of good design including: Keep It Simple, Use Meaningful Symbolism, Use 2-3 Basic Colors, No Lettering or Seals, and Be Distinctive or Be Related.
Arianna Meinking, 18, and Ella Kennedy-Yoon, 17, submitted what would become the winning design.
Mayor Mendenhall issued the following statement:
I believe a good flag has the ability to unite the city that works under it, and personify the people that live in the city it represents.
Years ago a new city flag made its way up the flagpole at City Hall, but the design was never completely embraced by our residents.
Now, in the midst of significant changes to the way we live and how our community functions, one thing has remained steadfast – the character, ingenuity and perseverance of our city and its people.
Salt Lake City deserves a flag that is emblematic of what we are, and who we are. It deserves a flag we’re proud to see whether it’s waving atop City Hall or outside our very own homes and businesses.
Today, I am pleased that we have a new flag that will take us forward, together.
Thank you to the Salt Lake City council and our flag design review committee for all their work to make this possible, and of course, thank you to the new flag’s designers, Arianna Meinking and Ella Kennedy-Yoon!
