The City of Sarasota has a new seal!
On November 7, 2022, the City Commission unanimously adopted a new City of Sarasota seal. The new seal replaces the original which dates back to the City’s incorporation in 1902. The new seal celebrates the natural beauty of the city’s iconic waterfront and features Sarasota’s 120-year-old motto, “May Sarasota Prosper”.
THE PROCESS
In November 2021, the City partnered with DreamLarge, the first registered benefit corporation on the Gulf Coast of Florida, to activate and engage with the public and better understand how the community sees Sarasota with the overall goal of redesigning the City’s seal and logo.
The design selection process included a range of community engagement efforts with a public branding survey which received over 2,600 responses, followed by a public design contest that garnered more than 172 submissions from 148 entries.
The top five seal designs were chosen by a panel of diverse community members and featured a number of local artists including Rachel Manzano, Cynthia Clasgens, Sarah Scire, Brooks Tracey, and Bill Greaves.
The final seal was a collaboration between DreamLarge and City of Sarasota resident Rachel Manzano, a talented local artist whose design was highly recognized by the City Commission.
Rachel Manzano, originally from Ireland, is a City of Sarasota resident with talent in lettering and illustration. After being highlighted by Commission for her great work, she worked closely with DreamLarge to finalize the new city seal.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
The purpose of the public design contest is to allow the larger community to play a role in the development of Sarasota’s evolving brand. The existing seal, which features marine life, coastal imagery and the words “May Sarasota Prosper,” is used on official City documents and dates back to the City’s incorporation in 1902.
The seal design contest comes as part of a rebranding effort approved by the City Commission in 2021. The City has partnered with Sarasota’s DreamLarge to conduct community outreach efforts that include the seal contest and last month’s public survey on how the community sees Sarasota. Click here to view a summary of survey responses.
The contest is open from May 1 - June 15 and is open to everyone.
ABOUT THE ORIGINAL SEAL
Sarasota voted to incorporate as a town in October 1902. The chosen motto? “May Sarasota Prosper.” The seal, which has remained largely untouched since Sarasota’s incorporation, consists of a mullet, palmettos and shells at the base.
Example Uses: The seal can be seen used as part of Sarasota Police Departments badge, and on the floor of the Federal Building in Downtown Sarasota.
