Kevin 'Kilo' Thomas
Maine State Flag 2024
In response to open submissions for redesigns of the Maine State Flag, I created an intricate but recognizable representation of the state's history, geography, and people.
As communications technology ironically makes interpersonal relations less personal, what started as an artistic ambition resulted in something of a social renaissance for me, as writing to family and old friends has unlocked a special kind of joy I didn’t realize I was missing. What follows is a brief account of my journey to-date.
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Background
When I first moved to Maine after spending the better part of two decades in the Greater Boston Area, I began to notice a preponderance of flags with a pine tree and a blue star on houses, barns, hats—even my neighbor dog’s collar and leash—and I was immediately intrigued. I soon learned that this was the original Maine state flag from 1901-1909 (later replaced by the fairly standard and unremarkable state-seal-on-blue design) and that I was witnessing a grassroots movement to restore the original, far more distinctive flag design to official use. Then in January of 2024, a law was passed to do exactly that. It was soon put to the public to submit their interpretations of the design, and being a lifelong devotee of vexillology and heraldry, I knew I should throw my hat into the ring.
Inspiration
Given that the design brief was extremely specific about the composition (buff background, pine tree center, blue star in the corner), I saw only one way to create a design which would retain the recognizable gestalt of the 1901 flag while leaving room to explore and express the character of Maine. When I’d worked on a project for the History Channel show “Vikings” back in 2014, I had immediately fallen in love with their logo, which elegantly intertwined several types of Norse knotwork and design motifs in the shape of the “V” letterform to represent various aspects of Viking culture and life. This idea seemed perfect to me—take the central pine tree silhouette and fill it out with representations quintessential of Maine.
My immediate inclination was to start with the original inhabitants of this land, which are the four Native tribes known collectively as the Wabanaki, the People of the Dawn. I reached out to Native organizations, and through the Union of Maine Visual Artists was put in touch with the very kind and enthusiastic Passamaquoddy artist. However, after some discussion, it was decided that given the Nations' history with the State of Maine and status as sovereign entities with a distinct and separate cultural identity, that it wouldn’t be appropriate to include their cultural symbology on the state flag. Completely understandable.
Design
Having mulled the design over in my head for some weeks beforehand, when it came time to actually put pen to paper I had a fairly good idea of what I wanted to include and how it would all fit together. Basing the pine tree silhouette on the earliest historical flags, an anchor, taken from the Maine Merchant Marine ensign would become the spine of the tree to represent the nautical history of the state and its famous rocky coastline. Mount Katahdin would be cradled between the arms of the anchor to symbolize Maine’s inland mountainous highlands, the upswept antlers of a moose fit perfectly to stand in for the state’s fauna, and a sprig of Maine’s signature blueberries for her flora. Atop the tree in the ring of the anchor, the silhouette of the sun rising over water serves as a nod to the People of the Dawn, Maine’s original inhabitants.
For the blue star (or “mullet” in heraldic parlance), my personal favorite idea was inspired by the star from Maine’s state seal, which is surrounded by 50 rays—though for the state flag, I opted for 23 rays to represent Maine’s entry into the Union as the 23rd state (separating from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1820). Thus in the end I combined elements of the ensign, seal, people, geography, and history into the silhouette of the original 1901 flag; distinctive and simple from afar, rich and intricate up close.
Reception
Ultimately, the Secretary of State decided to go with a staid, conservative design identical to the original 1901 flag. But regardless of the outcome, I’m proud to have come up with the best design I believe I could, and hope it’s a fitting tribute to my adopted home state.
Letterlocking
"Calligraphy" by Jane Sullivan
"The Lost Art of Handwriting" by Brenna Jordan
Maine.gov | Design Brief
graphicpear | Flag Mockup
Vikings Logo | History Channel