Live: Minnesota state flag, seal redesign top 5 selection
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - The commission tasked with choosing the new Minnesota state flag will narrow down the state flag and seal submissions to five in each category during a meeting on Tuesday.
The State Emblems Redesign Commission (SERC) will meet from 1-5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 21, with the "goal" of narrowing the submissions to the top five flag designs and top five seal designs. They'll start the day with each commissioner's top 25 choices from the original submissions.
Earlier this month, the Minnesota Historical Society released the more than 2,600 designs submitted to the State Emblems Redesign Commission for the new flag and seal.
RELATED: New Minnesota state flag design: The best and worst submissions
The commission will eventually select a design or a modified version of the design to be used for each emblem. It is tasked with developing and adopting a new design for the official state seal and flag no later than Jan. 1, 2024.
How to watch Tuesday's state flag meeting
Tuesday's meeting is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. and go until 5 p.m. If needed, the meeting will be extended to 9 p.m.
The meeting is in a hybrid format, with the in-person portion of the meeting being held in Room 1200 of the Minnesota Senate Building in St. Paul.
You can watch the meeting live via FOX 9 here and in the player above. You can also watch it on your TV via the smart TV application FOX LOCAL — here's how to download it.
What the committee was looking for in design submissions
The committee was looking for various qualities in flag design submissions. Among them, per the state's website:
- Simplicity and Recognizability: The flag should be so simple that a child can draw it from memory and can be easily recognizable from a distance. It should be a flag that Minnesotans can proudly identify with.
- Distinctive Colors: Utilize a color palette that represents the state effectively. Blue, green, and white are often associated with Minnesota's natural beauty, while red and yellow can symbolize its vitality. Limit the number of colors on the flag to three to four, contrasting nicely and coming from the standard color set.
- Enduring Appeal: While honoring the state's history, the flag design should also represent Minnesota's enduring values and aspirations, emphasizing inclusivity and unity.
- Symbolism: The flag's images, icons, colors, and/or patterns should relate to what it symbolizes.
- Symmetry: The design should be symmetrical to a degree.
- Mandatory: Symbols, emblems, or likenesses that represent only a single community or person, regardless of whether real or stylized, may not be included in a design.