NAVA, the North American Vexillological Association, held its 48th annual meeting last October in New Orleans. <clickbait>What happened there will restore you faith in humanity!</clickbait> Well, perhaps not, but NAVA's latest newsletter will give you a good sense (with many photos by Ted Kaye) of what happens when 51 vexillologists and vexillophiles, some from as far… Continue reading Vexillologists in New Orleans
Author: SDM
Ethnography * Technology * Design
Vexillonairing in Coos Bay
By Scott Mainwaring and Ted Kaye, based on reporting by Devan Patel and Tim Novotny in the Coos Bay World Vexillonnaires in Coos Bay, on the southern Oregon coast, have prompted the redesign of a prominent flag display along the city's waterfront. In 1991 residents wanting to “spruce up” Coos Bay convinced the city to fly flags representing… Continue reading Vexillonairing in Coos Bay
The PFA Turns 20
From VexTab #49, by Ted Kaye (& John Hood) It’s been 20 years! The Portland Flag Association had its roots in the local organizing committee for the 28th annual meeting of the North American Vexillological Association. The organization itself was conceived at a sub-meeting of NAVA 28, held in Portland, Oregon, in October 1994. It… Continue reading The PFA Turns 20
Twitter, Facebook, and Beyond
We're now carrying the flag on Twitter as well as Facebook: Follow @portlandflag on Twitter: twitter.com/portlandflag Like our Portland Flag Association page on Facebook: facebook.com/portlandflag And, while you're at it, send a note to subscribe@portlandflag.org to get our bimonthly newsletter, The Vexilloid Tabloid, delivered to your inbox.
The Flag of Hawaii 2
The irreverent adult game maker Cards Against Humanity has purchased an island and renamed it Hawaii 2, in order to send each of its 250,000 "Holiday Bullshit" supporters a deed for a square foot, a map, and a small paper flag as a thank-you gift. (They will need to wait until they hear someone boast of… Continue reading The Flag of Hawaii 2
Barbara Upton’s Waking Planet World Flag
After the 9/11 attacks, New Age artist Barbara Upton created this flag representing "Peace, Justice, Equality and Love": She describes the symbolism as follows: The blue earth, glowing with vitality, is surrounded by colorful figures representing the beauty that is possible when people of different colors, tongues and beliefs come together in mutual respect and… Continue reading Barbara Upton’s Waking Planet World Flag
Andy Warner: What the Flag Says
Andy Warner is a San Francisco-based comic artist and journalist. Last October he published a very nice introduction to vexillology in the re:form collection on medium.com, entitled What the Flag Says.
The Vexillum: The Original Vexilloid
Vexillology: The study of flags. Coined by Whitney Smith in 1957, as a combination of the Latin word Vexillum and the Greek suffix -ology. Vexillum (pl. vexilla): In ancient Rome, a square military banner hung from a crossbeam carried on a staff. It's the diminutive of velum ("sail"), itself derived from Proto-Indo-European *weg- (“to weave a web”) or *weǵʰ- (“to ride”), thus… Continue reading The Vexillum: The Original Vexilloid
Mayor Hales sails with the Portland flag
From the regular Portland Flag Miscellany section of Vexilloid Tabloid #49: Portland’s mayor, Charlie Hales, reports to us: “We flew the Portland flag all summer on the s/v Elizabeth, in Puget Sound and Canada’s Gulf Islands. Lots of comments and questions. This image is from our return voyage, nearing the mouth of the Strait of Juan De… Continue reading Mayor Hales sails with the Portland flag
Areal Density by Susan Murrell
From Ted Kaye's report on his trip to the Bay Area in Vexilloid Tabloid #49: In Portland Airport’s Concourse A, Susan Murrell’s installation Areal Density utilized multiple flag-shaped objects (although apparently not representing actual flags). She teaches art at Eastern Oregon University in La Grande. From the Port of Portland News Release: “Technology has fundamentally changed our… Continue reading Areal Density by Susan Murrell
Portland Flag Association 