May 5, 2021 | BY AAGD STAFF
National Links Trust is engaging their supporters and the local artist community to come up with a logo for Langston Golf Course. The design competition is open to all. Cash prizes will be awarded for the winner as well as two runners-up.
Langston Golf Course:
In the late 1920’s, construction of the Memorial Bridge across the Potomac River in Washington, DC forced closure of the only golf course in the District of Columbia where African Americans were permitted to play golf. The frustrated Black golfing community in DC began lobbying the government for a successor course, and in 1934 agreement was reached to build a new course in Anacostia Park. The first nine holes were built just west of the north end of Kingman Island in 1939. The Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Project Administration constructed the course. Langston Golf Course opened in 1939, named for John Mercer Langston, the first dean of the Howard University School of Law, the first president of what is today Virginia State University, and the first African American elected to the US Congress from Virginia. When Langston Golf Course opened, it was one of 20 public golf courses open to African Americans out of some 700 in the United States.
Logo Application:
· Merchandise especially golf shirts and hats
· Collateral items: menu, cups, bags, napkins
· Employee Uniforms
· Digital platforms (website and social)
· Wayfinding: as needed around property
Deliverables: Entries should be submitted in .jpeg format. The winner will need to supply a complete digital package including .eps, .jpeg and .png files.
Audience: The main consumers of this logo will be those who come to Langston to play golf but it is important to note that the golf course is a key gathering place for the community. NLT’s mission is not just to serve golfers but to ensure that the facility is welcoming to golfers and non-golfers alike and make a positive impact in the community around Langston.
Message: The logo should reflect Langston’s incredible history and its role in the civil rights movement as a place specifically built to allow Black golfers a place to play the game. It should be celebratory and proud.
Style: While NLT is not looking for any particular style, the end product should be clean and simple so that it can be easily embroidered. While this is a logo for a golf course, golf balls or flags need not be a dominant component or included at all. The final logo will need to be harmonious with the National Links Trust logo as well as the logos developed for Rock Creek Golf Course and East Potomac Golf Course. These logos are available upon request but the designer will need to sign a simple non-disclosure agreement to access these images as they have yet to be released to the public.
Potential Inspiration: The team at NLT has identified a few thematic elements that could be incorporated into the design of the Langston logo, though there is absolutely no requirement to do so. Use the following as inspiration or feel free to go a different direction:
The Sankofa bird (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sankofa) is a powerful symbol that asks the viewer to look to the past to ensure a strong future. This message resonates with what we are trying to accomplish at Langston.
Royal Golf Club/Wake Robin Golf Club – The history of Langston is tied closely to the two clubs that have played there since its opening in 1939. Their club colors are red (Royals) and purple/gold (Wake Robins)..
Timeline: Initial submissions will be due by Friday May 21, 2021. A group of finalists will be picked within 10 days and NLT will work with the artists to refine their designs into a final version. NLT reserves the right to publish the final designs online for a vote by the public but may also make the decision in house. The winner will be chosen on June 1, 2021 and officially announced at Langston’s Axe Golf Tournament on June 10th at Langston Golf Course.
Awards:The winner of the contest will be awarded $1,500. The second and third runner-up’s will be awarded $500.
Submittal Info: Please submit a jpeg that is at least 1,000 pixels by 1,000 pixels to langstonlogo@nationallinkstrust.com. Please make sure we have your name, email, phone number as well as any social media handles that you would like us to have.
To learn more about the the design competition and Langston Golf course visit https://www.nationallinkstrust.com/langston-logo-competition.
