May 1 the opening date for public design contest for new City of Sarasota seal

Competition to end on June 15

Image courtesy City of Sarasota

The City of Sarasota is inviting the members of the community to submit concepts for a new City Seal when a public design contest opens May 1.

“The purpose of the contest is to allow the larger community to play a role in the development of Sarasota’s evolving brand,” a city news release explains. The existing seal, which features marine life, coastal imagery and the words “May Sarasota Prosper,” is used on official city documents, the release adds. “It dates back to the City’s incorporation in 1902.”

The contest will close on June 15, the release points out.

The seal design contest is part of a rebranding effort that the City Commission approved last year, the release continues. City staff has partnered with Sarasota’s DreamLarge, “the first registered benefit corporation on the Gulf Coast of Florida, to conduct community outreach efforts that include the seal contest and last month’s public survey on how the community sees Sarasota,” the release explains.

“The seal design competition is open to all, regardless of age, skill level and background,” the release notes. “The top five submissions will be selected by a diverse panel of community members and will be presented to the City Commission” this summer, the release says.

To submit entries online and view contest guidelines, visit BrandSarasota.com. Entries will be available for the public to view online as they are received, the release notes. Physical entries may be mailed to DreamLarge, 1421 Blvd. of the Arts, Sarasota, FL 34236.

“The City Seal differs from the city logo, which features a silhouette of the statue of David,” the release continues. It was adopted in 1988, the release adds. This contest is solely for the redesign of the City Seal, not the logo, the release emphasizes.

“The logo will be refreshed by DreamLarge later this year and will be presented to the City Commission in the fall,” the release explains.

DreamLarge previously has led rebranding efforts for a number of community projects, including those of All Faiths Food Bank, the Library Foundation for Sarasota County and The Bay Sarasota, the release notes.