Every morning, Connor Main walks past Milwaukee’s city flag on his way to Mitchell Hall, where he learns the principles of graphic design, which tell him the flag is full of flaws.
Now, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee student has a chance to correct those flaws and design a new flag for the city of Milwaukee. Main spent Wednesday morning in a workshop that teaches basic flag design while also discussing several issues facing Milwaukee, including segregation.
It’s part of the People’s Flag of Milwaukee project spearheaded by UWM alumnus and graphic designer Steve Kodis, who’s a vocal advocate of redesigning Milwaukee’s flag, an idea that’s gaining local traction. He’s partnered with local nonprofit Greater Together, which aims to increase diversity and combat segregation through the design and arts community. The ultimate goal is to have a new flag that’s a better symbol for Milwaukee.
Although Milwaukee officials haven’t agreed to make changes to the flag, businesses and petitioners have shown support for the idea. The UWM workshop was one of many happening at area schools, and the project welcomes design submissions from the metro-Milwaukee area through April 14 – Milwaukee Day. The top 50 designs, including five finalists, will be exhibited at Milwaukee’s City Hall May 14, and a winner will be announced June 14, which is Flag Day.
“It’s an opportunity,” said UWM senior Morgan Kromholz, “to learn not only what’s not working with our flag, but also what’s not working with our community.”
Amy Decker, a design and visual communication lecturer in UWM’s Peck School of the Arts, encouraged her students to participate in Wednesday’s workshop. “It’s nice to see that this community focus resonates and stays with our students well after they graduate,” Decker said.
And Kodis isn’t the only UWM alumnus involved. Katherine Wilson, a UWM alumna and associate director of Greater Together, led the workshop in discussions of the issues facing Milwaukee, with an eye toward inspiring creative designs that speak to Milwaukee as a whole.
It’s a cause that encouraged Main to put the design tenets he’s learned at UWM toward benefiting the city.
“There’s a strong sense of community,” he said, “and that makes you want to get involved.”
