| Description |
An eagle in flight, its wings flapping in the Utah wind. AMERICAN EAGLE An American Bald Eagle flies into the wind to gain altitude. --Meaning: The Eagle is sacred to Utah's Indigenous peoples, with deep historical and cultural significance. It also means Liberty and individual rights guaranteed by the Constitution. A STYLIZED BEEHIVE/WING The eagle's wings are a stylized beehive with streamlined segments signifying swift forward motion. A small hole at the bottom helps identify it as a beehive. The shape of the segments is also based upon an Anasazi spearhead, but could also be seen as stylized individual eagle feathers. When the flag is flying, the beehive/wing looks like the eagle is flapping its wings. --Meaning: The beehive is the symbol of Community Collaboration and in common throughout the nation and the world for centuries. Its meaning of working hard together ("industry" in 19th Century parlance) is a vital value for Modern Utahns as much as it was for the pioneers. As the Salt Lake Bees posted on social media, no matter where we come from or what our diverse identities are, "we're all part of the same hive." "HIDDEN" SYMBOLS There are several hidden symbols that add meaning to the flag in fun ways without distracting from the general impression. Like Utah, the more one explores this flag, the more significance it takes. Several of the items are not obvious, but are there nevertheless. It bespeaks of our historical, cultural, religious, and geographic diversity. Like our identities, we all have so much that might not first be apparent, but in reality are deep and moving.DELICATE ARCH: The bottom of the Eagle's head is shaped like Delicate Arch, representing Utah's distinctive red rocks and arches.STATEHOOD STAR: The star represents the 1896 the almost 50 years struggle to have Utah admitted as a state. It also acts as the underside of the Delicate Arch.EAGLE EYE/PIONEER MOON: The eye of the eagle is how the moon phase looked on the night the Latter-day Saint Pioneers camped on the evening of July 24, 1847.MOUNTAINS: The top of the Eagle's head is shaped like the mountains of Northern Utah, representing the great snow and recreational opportunities of a Utah lifestyle.UTAH OUTLINE: The border between the Eagle's head and the beehive/wing includes the shape of Utah, albeit reversed (which is ok, since when the flag is flying, that is what people will see half the time).THE 45TH STATE: The four protuberances on the neck of the Eagle come together with the five segments of the beehive, representing Utah as the 45th state. THE FLAG'S COLORS SEGO GOLD: The color of the Beehive/Wing was sampled from the yellow center of a Sego Lily, Utah's state flower. HERITAGE BLUE SILK: The blue is symbolic of Utah's sky and lakes and was sampled from Utah's first flag, which was made of homespun Utah silk. WHITE: Snow. FLAG DESIGN TEST Be simple: A child should be able to draw it from memory. Children will have fun drawing the eagle and its wing. They may lose a few of the finer "hidden" details, but the impression of the flag will remain intact. Use meaningful symbolism. This flag is rich in meaning with symbols--particularly to principles of working together and liberty. Use two or three basic colors. The flag uses three main colors. Avoid lettering or seals. Avoided. Be distinctive: A very unique flag that is beautiful and eye catching and is very nice to watch as it flies. EDUCATIONAL USE This flag is great for teaching children the history and geography of our state. They will particularly enjoy the "hidden" details and delight in sharing it with their friends and with their parents. I also enjoy giving presentations and would be comfortable speaking about the flag, symbolism, etc. if the opportunity arose. MARKETING USE This design is very good for marketing purposes and can be used in unique ways. The Eagle and Beehive/Wing can be used together, but also separately. The Eagle head looks great by itself or with the word "UTAH" under it. The beehive, which is very modern and stylish, also looks great by itself. I highly encourage you to put this design into the web-based "flag waver." It is wonderful to see this eagle fly! You can find it by searching for "flag waver." There are two websites that do this equally well. Please Contact me for the original Adobe Illustrator Files or if you have any other questions. Thank you. |
