Lincoln gets a new flag after City Council approves winning design

By MARGARET REIST

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    LINCOLN, Nebraska (Lincoln Journal Star) — Lincoln has a new flag.

Lincoln City Council members — two of whom wore T-shirts emblazoned with the new design, along with the mayor when she spoke on a different issue — voted unanimously Monday to approve the new art deco design created by Ed Mejia, an art director at Nelnet. Councilman Richard Meginnis was absent.

“This city means a lot to me,” an emotional Mejia told the council during a public hearing on the new design. “What this flag means is stability. It’s about having a home. I know a lot of people see it that way, too.”

Mejia — who has lived in three countries and five states, and has made Lincoln his home for nearly 30 years — said he knows people from all over the state, country and world who’ve made their homes here.

His design, called “All Roads Lead to Lincoln,” was the winner among more than 190 submissions in a ReFlag Lincoln contest.

The American Marketing Association and Lincoln Young Professionals raised nearly $20,000 in a matter of weeks to run the contest.

Mejia said in an earlier interview he spent about 10 hours writing down words he felt described Lincoln and sketching out symbols that represented what he felt and took five to six hours on his computer to design it.

The teal green, navy blue and gold flag includes intersecting lines intended to capture the interconnection of technology, agriculture and commerce that have drawn people to Lincoln, according to Mejia. The beacon in the center symbolizes hope and optimism, as well as Lincoln’s reputation as a safe harbor for those seeking to make the community their home.

There’s a sunset — one of Mejia’s favorite things about Nebraska — represented, along with the state Capitol and an aerial view of the traditional center of town and the start located at 13th and O streets.

The teal green represents Lincoln’s tapestry of parks, trails, trees and green spaces and its being home of the Arbor Day Foundation; the navy blue, the groundwater aquifer, and significant natural resources significant to the region; the gold, the city’s bright future and a place where all are welcome.

Members who served on the committee and City Council members heaped praise on Mejia’s work.

Kayla Meyer, with the Young Professionals Group, said submissions came from people ages 6 to 90, and the committee got more than 6,400 comments on the four finalists. The design by Mejia, who emigrated from El Salvador, was a clear fan favorite, she said.

Councilwoman Jane Raybould, who described herself as a bit of a curmudgeon, wasn’t convinced when she first saw the design, but as she learned about the meaning of the flag, she had a change of heart.

“Little by little, I really warmed up to it,” she said. “I really have grown to appreciate it more. That’s the power of your work. If you can make converts of people like me, that’s really saying something.”

Supporters said the flag would be something people noticed, that it was a chance for the city to “rebrand” itself and that it would be good for business.

The flag will replace one created in another contest sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce 90 years ago. The winner got a $50 prize.

Only one person spoke in opposition.

Jim Klein said he appreciated Mejia’s passion, the artwork and his love for the city — something he shares — but didn’t think people would understand what it means. A more literal representation of the state Capitol, corn cobs and wheat carries more meaning, he said.

“Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but that’s Lincoln,” he said.

Paige Gade, a member of the young professionals group, said the new design doesn’t mean Lincoln is any less proud of its connection to the state Capitol, the Huskers, or any other symbols long associated with its identity, but the redesign offered a chance to re-establish young people’s identity with the city based on its vibrant culture.

Mejia told the council the flag isn’t meant to impose ideals on the city. Instead, it’s the people of Lincoln who give it meaning.

“My hope is when people see this flag, they see themselves in it,” he said.

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