Frederick County, Maryland, is holding a contest to redesign its grand old flag as part of the county’s 275th anniversary. The winner of the contest will get $1,275 in cash and a full-size flag with their design, a Frederick County news release said. The prizes were a result of input from the community.
Through March 31, those who live or have lived in the county can submit their design by emailing 275@frederickcountymd.gov. The county allows one submission per person, and anyone younger than 18 years old will need a to submit parental consent form.
The decision to add the cash prize came following feedback from the community concerning artists being compensated for their work.
“We heard from many people who stressed the need to compensate artists for their work,” said Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater in a statement. “Frederick County values the arts, and we want to encourage talented artists of all ages to participate in the contest to redesign our flag.”
The contest, organized by the Frederick County 275 Planning Committee, has some rules, including:
- Designs may not contain offensive images, symbols or languages.
- Must be an original design and may not include copyrighted content.
- The design must be easily display on a cloth flag (3 feet by 5 feet) to be flown on a flagpole.
- The submission should include a design title and narrative.
- The design must create a positive message of unity in our community, and must be an “inclusive representation” of all residents of the county.
The contest will have two rounds, with the first scored by county employees and community members, a Frederick County news release said.
The top three picks will move to round two in April. The public can vote on a final winner through June 10, the date of the county’s jubilee. The winner will be announced on June 14, Flag Day.
The current Frederick County flag was created in 1976 by area artist, James Pearl, who won in a similarly county-sponsored contest. The flag contains an image of Francis Scott Key pointing to Frederick County in yellow and encircled in blue, which is against a background of nine red and white horizontal bars.
