Arlington County has revealed the five finalists for its new logo, and they’re decidedly more colorful than the current iteration.
The county is asking members of the public to vote online for their top two favorite logo concepts, which were selected by a Logo Review Panel.
Based on the vote, the panel will make a final recommendation to the County Board in June. Voting closes on May 26.
The new logo will replace the existing county logo, featuring a stylized representation of Arlington House, the plantation house of Confederate General Robert E. Lee at Arlington National Cemetery. The logo has been criticized by the Arlington branch of the NAACP as “divisive and racist.”
Despite the forthcoming updated logo, the name “Arlington County” seems unlikely to change anytime soon, based on a recent discussion held by the Arlington Committee of 100.
“I believe changing the name of a county is a pretty heavy lift,” said local NAACP President Julius “JD” Spain, Sr.
The county press release about the logo finalists is below.
The search for the new Arlington County logo has been narrowed to five options by a panel of community members. Now, it is time for the greater Arlington community to weigh in.
Everyone who lives, works or plays in Arlington is invited to select their two favorite logo options from the top five. The voting webpage is available in English and Spanish.
The last day to vote is May 26.
The Logo Review Panel will use the voting results to offer a final recommendation to the County Board in June.
Last year, the Arlington County Board approved a process to replace the current County logo and seal, which depict Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial. For many Arlington County residents, the Arlington House symbol represents one of the darkest chapters our nation’s history: slavery.
Community members of all ages submitted more than 250 ideas for Arlington County’s new logo. Over the past several months, the Logo Review Panel narrowed the options and further developed the logo concepts submitted by the community.
Image (top) via Arlington County