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Provo, Utah (U.S.)

Utah County

image located by Dave Fowler, 7 January 2015
Source: www.heraldextra.com

Description of the flag
- Adoption process
Previous flag
First flag
The seal

See also:

Description of the Flag

The new Provo, Utah flag was officially selected yesterday: http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/central/provo/celebrate-provo-has-an-official-city-flag/article_19a5dbaa-75e4-508d-a0fe-a30a802591bf.html
Dave Fowler, 7 January 2015

Indeed a new flag has been chosen, announced publicly through their Twitter account (https://twitter.com/provocity) (source: fox13now.com/2015/01/07/provo-unanimously-approves-new-flag/), but the article you mention is interesting because it also tells us of the origin of the previous two flags this city had:

"The first Provo flag was produced in 1965. It was red and blue with a large white P for Provo taking up a good portion of the flag, with '1849' in white in the lower right-hand corner. That flag was used until 1985, when Mayor Joe Jenkins introduced the current flag. It has a white field and a rainbow bar with Provo written above it. The rainbow on the flag represents the eclectic and diverse nature of the city.

The Vexillological Association (in reference to NAVA) notes there are key design principles in making a flag, including: keep it so simple a child can draw it; use symbols unique to a city or area; limit colors to three that contrast well; no lettering or seals on flags; and make it distinctive from other flags. According to (Councilman Stephen) Hales, the flag fulfills nearly all of those requirements."
Esteban Rivera, 7 January 2015

Adoption process

There was a poll for Provo residents for a new city flag: "The flagpole at city hall in Provo hasn't flown a flag in a long time and, over the past two years, Mayor John Curtis has tried to find a new design. Part of the process for us has been learning what makes a good flag," Curtis said.

Provo knows a good design is important. Ten years ago (www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=82124, in a poll conducted by NAVA, Provo's flag was voted one of the ugliest (eighth to be exact) in the United States. The city had been trying to find a new design that will stand the test of time.

Curtis said the city has consulted vexillologists from as far as away as England, and it's down to two similar designs (provomayor.com/2014/05/19/flag-flap). Both designs are reflective of Utah Lake, the mountains and the blue sky. One design includes three stars (provomayor.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Screenshot-2014-05-19-08.42.51.png), symbolic of life in Provo. Curtis said three elements that represent Utah are also in each design. The other option is featured here: provomayor.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Screenshot-2014-05-19-08.41.42.png.

"One is our beautiful scenery and recreational opportunities, another is the quality of the people and friendliness you find here, and the third is our innovative spirit," Curtis said. "So those three elements are tied in with the lake, the mountains and the sky."

Curtis said everyone has an opinion about the new flag, including the city council, which keeps sending the proposals back to the drawing board (All images of proposals submitted are found here:
twitter.com/provocity/status/484021592444256256 and provomayor.com/2014/07/01/provo-flag).

The designs are getting mixed reaction from Provo residents. "I like the star one better. It adds a little bit more" said Provo resident Cambria Gunnell. "I liked the one without the stars until you gave me the meaning of the stars, and then I appreciated the stars more," said resident Erica Messerly. Some don't believe Provo needs a new flag. "I liked the old one. The new ones look like they are from a different country," said resident Rob Hamblin. One thing people appear to agree on is that there should be no red in the flag, which may suggest a tie to Brigham Young University rival University of Utah.

Residents can vote on which design they like more in an online poll (provomayor.com/2014/05/19/flag-flap) on the mayor's blog. The mayor will submit the winner to the city council for a final vote in a few weeks."
Source: www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=29976571
Esteban Rivera, 25 August 2014

The city's flag change was carried out by RED (Research:Emotion:Design) in 2013, after merging with KorCreative. It is "described in section 1.05.010 municipal codes as consisting of a light blue field and the city's logo at the center.
Sources: http://redslc.com/knowme/client/95
https://korcreative.com/portfolio/provo/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Provo,_Utah

The Provo Style Guide mentions the following primary font as Gotham and the primary colors as follows:
Yellow: PMS 130; CMYK 0, 30, 100, 0; RGB 253, 184, 19
Blue: PMS 299 10; CMYK 85, 19, 0, 0 ; RGB 0, 157, 220
Green: PMS 368; CMYK 57, 0, 100, 0; RGB 123, 193, 67
Gray: PMS Cool Grey 10; CMYK 0, 2, 0, 60; RGB 128, 127, 131

Esteban Rivera, 30 October 2023

Previous Flag

4:7 image(s) by permission of David B. Martucci
image(s) from American City Flags, Raven 9-10 (2002-2003), courtesy of the North American Vexillological Association, which retains copyright.

Text and image(s) from American City Flags, Raven 9-10 (2002-2003), courtesy of the North American Vexillological Association, which retains copyright. Image(s) from American City Flags by permission of David B. Martucci.

Design

Provo’s flag has a white field with Provo running across the center in gray-shadowed black letters slanting slightly from lower hoist to upper fly. Below, and slanted parallel to the letters but beginning about two letter-spaces ahead of it, is a narrow multicolored stripe beginning with red at the hoist and shifting respectively into violet, blue, green, yellow, orange, and back to red. (The stripe is also sometimes shown as omitting the red at the hoist and beginning with violet.)
John M. Purcell, American City Flags, Raven 9-10, 2002-2003

Symbolism

The colored stripe “indicates diversity, technology, and the exciting upward growth of the city”, according to the city’s administration.
John M. Purcell, American City Flags, Raven 9-10, 2002-2003

Selection

By the municipal council.
John M. Purcell, American City Flags, Raven 9-10, 2002-2003

Designer

Stephen Hales Creative Design.
John M. Purcell, American City Flags, Raven 9-10, 2002-2003

More about the Flag

The city’s administration lends city flags to civic groups for use in special ceremonies.
John M. Purcell, American City Flags, Raven 9-10, 2002-2003

From the city ordinances:

Chapter 1.04. City Seal.

1.04.010. Description of Seal.
The seal provided for Provo City, circular in form, one and eleven-sixteenths (1 11/16) inches in diameter, the impression on which is a representation of a mill, with a water wheel and flume at one end thereof, with the words "Industry and Commerce" in a half circle over the building, and the inscription, "Provo City Seal, Utah County, Utah," around the outer edge, shall be, and the same is hereby established and declared to be the seal of Provo City:

Chapter 1.05. City Flag.

1.05.010. Authorization for and Description of Flag.
Provo City shall have and may display a Provo City flag which shall have a white background with black letters and grey letter shadowing and a multi-color stripe of red, violet, blue, green, yellow, orange and red. The form of the lettering and the stripe shall be as follows: (image missing) The foregoing described flag is hereby established and declared to be the flag of Provo City.
Dov Gutterman, 27 December 2002

The flag was designed by Steven Hales of Hales/Allen Inc. and adopted on April 25, 1989 through Ordinance No.0-89-032 of the City Council amending Section 1.0.5.010 of the Provo City Ordinances to change the design of the Provo City flag. The description, as per "Provo City Code Title 1. General Provisions, Chapter 1.05. City Flag" is as follows: "Provo City shall have and may display a Provo City flag which shall have a white background with black letters and grey letter shadowing and a multi-color stripe of red, violet, blue, green, yellow, orange and red. The form of the lettering and the stripe shall be as follows: (image)

The foregoing described flag is hereby established and declared to be the flag of Provo City". A more elaborate description can also be located here: "The flag consisted of a pure white field, with the word "Provo" in black lettering with gray shadows on a rainbow bar running diagonally towards the center. The rainbow represented the "eclectic and diverse nature" of Provo according to the city government."
Sources: https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-provo-will-be-flying-ne/43580454/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-legal-notices-ordinanc/43580503/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Provo,_Utah

Esteban Rivera, 30 October 2023

First Flag

image(s) by permission of David B. Martucci
image(s) from American City Flags, Raven 9-10 (2002-2003), courtesy of the North American Vexillological Association, which retains copyright.

An earlier flag of Provo was in use for some years after 1989. The field of this flag is 3 by 5 units, red at the hoist and blue at the fly, separated by a large, white, square-block P, slightly slanted toward the fly, and extending from the bottom edge of the flag to the top edge. The lower stroke of the “P” curves downward to the field’s center, but does not close completely. In the lower fly is 1849, the year Provo was founded, in white block numerals. (The illustration of this flag in the official ordinances shows proportions of 6:7 and no date, which may have been added later.)
Dov Gutterman, 27 December 2002

"(The flag) was unveiled on April 7, 1976 (and) was designed by Michael Jorgensen, a Brigham Young University industrial design student which was presented with a $100 savings bond, as part of a contest run by the Utah Lake Lions Club to commemorate the city's participation in the national bicentennial to be flown precisely on July 4 to mark the country's independence day.
Sources: https://www.newspapers.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Provo,_Utah
Esteban Rivera, 30 October 2023

image located by Esteban Rivera, 30 October 2023

I find that the image above is a bit different from the newspaper report back then (the stylized "P" and the font type are different in shape and form).
Esteban Rivera, 30 October 2023

The seal

image located by Paul Bassinson, 22 January 2020

Source: https://www.provo.org/
Paul Bassinson, 22 January 2020

First Seal

image located by Esteban Rivera, 30 October 2023

The city's first Seal, it is described on "Provo City Code Title 1. General Provisions, Chapter 1.04. City Seal" as follows: "The seal provided for Provo City, circular in form, one and eleven-sixteenths (1 11/16) inches in diameter, the impression on which is a representation of a mill, with a water wheel and flume at one end thereof, with the words "Industry and Commerce" in a half circle over the building, and the inscription, "Provo City Seal, Utah County, Utah," around the outer edge, shall be, and the same is hereby
established and declared to be the seal of Provo City"
Source: http://provo.org/files/council/code_book/t01.pdf
Esteban Rivera, 30 October 2023