Finalists for the new Tulsa flag

[Red Arrow]

River?

From the link at the beginning of this thread:

One is half gold and half sky blue, with a little black mixed in to represent the role the oil industry has played in Tulsa. The graphic in the middle of the flag is said to represent the Council Oak Tree, Art Deco architecture, the city's Native American heritage and Black Wall Street.

The Gulf Stream off the Florida Keys is blue but none of the water I've seen around here is blue.  Am I just looking in the wrong places?

[BKDotCom]

Well.. our esteemed former mayor has weighed in on facebook

https://www.facebook.com/DeweyBartlett

I have considered the 3 choices and the descriptions regarding a proposed new flag for the city of Tulsa. The public should be given a choice whether a new flag is needed and if the proposed flags are better or more appropriate than our current flag. We must allow our current flag to be part of the public's consideration when compared to the 3 proposed flags.
A flag should be easily representative of our city and not require a description of its design. Of the 3 flags proposed, none of them express a clear symbol representing the city of Tulsa.
I heard for many years that several groups thought that Tulsa needed a "brand" that reflects our city. These proposed new flags do not express a "brand".
The city's official flag represents Tulsa's present and historical foundation very well. The new proposed designs of our city's flag are void of any expression or representation of Tulsa.
My take-away is that they have shown no need to change our current flag.

He couldn't be more wrong for each of his points

https://www.ted.com/talks/roman_mars_why_city_flags_may_be_the_worst_designed_thing_you_ve_never_noticed  (start at 7:00)

There's also a thread on reddit

[Hoss]

Well.. our esteemed former mayor has weighed in on facebook

https://www.facebook.com/DeweyBartlett

He couldn't be more wrong for each of his points

https://www.ted.com/talks/roman_mars_why_city_flags_may_be_the_worst_designed_thing_you_ve_never_noticed  (start at 7:00)

Sour grapes because he thought he would be voted in again...

[BKDotCom]

Sour grapes because he thought he would be voted in again...

Reading all the replies to his post is infuriating.   We're surrounded by morons. 
#triggered

[Townsend]

   We're surrounded by morons. 

If words could be on the flag...

[rebound]

He couldn't be more wrong for each of his points

I hate to ever be in a position to agree with Dewey, but I can't stand any of the new designs.   His basic premise of "if you have to explain it, you missed the mark" is (to me) evident in all of them.  The only recognizable symbol on any of them is the dream catcher, and I'm not sure how that is in any way specific to Tulsa.

[sgrizzle]

I hate to ever be in a position to agree with Dewey, but I can't stand any of the new designs.   His basic premise of "if you have to explain it, you missed the mark" is (to me) evident in all of them.  The only recognizable symbol on any of them is the dream catcher, and I'm not sure how that is in any way specific to Tulsa.

Here's some other flags you have to explain:

[TeeDub]

Good thing no one listens to rules.   Probably half of the states have words on them.

[Red Arrow]

There are some pretty horrible state flags out there:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flags_of_the_U.S._states_and_territories

[rebound]

Here's some other flags you have to explain:

Let me re-phrase.  "If you have to explain the symbols, you missed the mark"

All the flags you show have very obvious symbols.  Even the Chicago flag I "get".  I didn't know what the four stars represented, but I knew they were stars and understood there is probably a reason for them.

The others are easy:

- US Flag:  "Stars and bars"  Thirteen bars to represent the original colonies, and a star for each state.
- OK:  Indian Shield.  Heck our state name means "Home of the Red Man" or something like that.  Whether that's the best symbolism, probably arguable, but I understand it.
- Russia:  Simple Hammer and Sickle (signifying work, etc...) on a red (power) background.  Not sure on the star.

But the important thing is that I easily see what the symbols are, not that I understand what each stands for.

As I noted earlier, the only symbols I can easily identify on any of the three Tulsa flag options is the dream catcher. Which is (to me) too derivative of the state flag to work.  On the others, I'm not even sure what the symbols are, much less what they stand for.

[rebound]

OK,  to illustrate my point about understanding symbols versus symbolism,  I did this mock up in ten minutes on PPT.   I'm not advocating for it, but the actual symbols are easily identifiable:

- Blue base layer to symbolize the River:  Without the river, and the crossing here, Tulsa would not exist.  The river was the start of everythng.

- Symbolized Oil Derrick/oil gusher. Derrick in gold to symbolize wealth, with black oil gushing up forming a T.  Again, "Tulsa" springing from the very ground we are on in the form of oil.

- Four stars each in a different color: 

1) Green - The Council Oak, and in general the land of Green Country
2) Tan - The same color (I tried) as the shield on the state flag.  Symbolizing the Indians and their importance to the state.
3) Blood Red - Tulsa Race Riot, and healing from that.  (Originally, I had that as a black star, but went with Blood Red due to possible issue with the color black associated with race, etc..)
4) Silver/Metalic - Art Deco and all things of the boom era in Tulsa.

All of that on white background, symbolizing the clear skies, etc...

Again, I'm not advocating this design, and I slapped it together in 10 minutes, but it shows what I am talking about related to obvious symbols, versus trying to figure out what the heck is going on.

 

[RecycleMichael]

I only care about the size and shape of official flag. It can have any design.

I am thinking maybe 3" x 10" with a forked end.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swallowtail_(flag)

[sgrizzle]

OK,  to illustrate my point about understanding symbols versus symbolism,  I did this mock up in ten minutes on PPT.   I'm not advocating for it, but the actual symbols are easily identifiable:

- Blue base layer to symbolize the River:  Without the river, and the crossing here, Tulsa would not exist.  The river was the start of everythng.

- Symbolized Oil Derrick/oil gusher. Derrick in gold to symbolize wealth, with black oil gushing up forming a T.  Again, "Tulsa" springing from the very ground we are on in the form of oil.

- Four stars each in a different color: 

1) Green - The Council Oak, and in general the land of Green Country
2) Tan - The same color (I tried) as the shield on the state flag.  Symbolizing the Indians and their importance to the state.
3) Blood Red - Tulsa Race Riot, and healing from that.  (Originally, I had that as a black star, but went with Blood Red due to possible issue with the color black associated with race, etc..)
4) Silver/Metalic - Art Deco and all things of the boom era in Tulsa.

All of that on white background, symbolizing the clear skies, etc...

Again, I'm not advocating this design, and I slapped it together in 10 minutes, but it shows what I am talking about related to obvious symbols, versus trying to figure out what the heck is going on.

 

The stars meant absolutely nothing to me without the explanation. The T is a letter and technically bad form. In the end, you basically made a flag version of this:

[BKDotCom]

What do the stars on the current flag represent?
civilized tribes or somesuch?

[heironymouspasparagus]

I certainly can't draw it, but this is the description of my "submittal".

Two stripes, horizontal, half the field each.  Top one black (for black gold).  Bottom one red (for meaning of the state name - red people).  The only issue would be the Anarchist's...maybe make the stripes narrower on a field of white (5 alternating stripes - white black white red white).

Centered, a stylized picture of the Golden Driller, like this;

http://www.fleetfeettulsa.com/races/2017-golden-driller-marathon


Would have the name Tulsa but very small letters...

Or maybe one like Anderson Design put on one of their posters.