The flag that began flying today just south of the UIC Halsted Blue Line entrance on Peoria does not represent the university, or the City of Chicago, or for that matter, any sovereign nation. It’s a neighborhood flag, created and developed by about 30 West Loopers last Saturday.

Staffers from Gallery 400, UIC’s contemporary art gallery, provided a blank flag canvas in Mary Bartelme Park on Aug. 4, and anyone with an artistic flair had an opportunity to contribute words, phrases and illustrations to the flag.

Flags with varied messaged have flown from this particular flagpole since 2005. The project is called Temporary Allegiance, created by artist Philip von Zweck. It’s open to anyone who’s ever wanted to create and fly a flag to express an opinion visually or make a statement.

“We have an open submission process so we can get new flags at any time,” said Chaz Evans, coordinator of the project. “We can have as many as four different flags a month.”

That’s because each submission is granted a one-week display window. If you’re interested in creating one, you can submit it at Gallery 400. Flags can be nearly any size, but must be made of sturdy material like canvas or nylon. They also should have grommet holes to attach to the halyard on the flagpole. Complete submission instructions are available here -javascript:nicTemp();

Submissions to Temporary Allegiance have run the gamut from straightforward to just plain weird, Evans said.

“We did have one flag which was simply a boombox with rings attached to it so it could go up on the pole,” he said. “It played a cassette recording of someone humming the Star Spangled Banner. It went up at a very bleak part of winter and the tape player still worked afterwards. It was one of my favorites.”

Other notable flags: a ring of rubber chickens and the simple image of a cake. Past flags can be viewed here - javascript:nicTemp();

Gallery 400 is located at 400 South Peoria Street. It’s open Tuesday through Friday, 10 to 6 and Saturday 12 to 6. Admission is free. The gallery has been operating within UIC’s College of Architecture and the Arts for nearly 30 years. Its goal is to make art accessible, and it does so through exhibitions and other programs. Those include film screenings, performances, and of course, flags.

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By sammlolv
Posted: 09/06/2012 1:52 AM

http://www.migente.com/your_page/blog/view_posting.html?pid=3290678&profile_id=7583516&profile_name=finnrao820&user_id=7583516&username=finnrao820 more info

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By Martha Goldstein from West Loop
Posted: 08/13/2012 11:09 AM

This is just the type of involvement we like to see in our neighborhood. Thanks to all involved and keep up the great work . Martha Goldstein, Executive Director The WEst Loop Community Organization

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By Martha Goldstein from West Loop
Posted: 08/13/2012 11:07 AM

This is just the type of involvement we like to see in our neighborhood. Thanks to all involved and keep up the great work . Martha Goldstein, Executive Director The WEst Loop Community Organization