The Guilford Human Rights Commission (HRC), a body formed in 2019 to advocate and educate on issues of race, religion, gender, disability, and sexual orientation in town, is taking a step forward to make it more visible as it unveils a new logo this month.

HRC Chair Jo Keogh said having an identifiable image, which was selected through an open contest process and designed by local artist Sam Rosenthal, will help residents better able to identify and interact with them as they seek to engage with anyone on any issue, and let people know they are available as a resource.

“We really want to be accessible to the community as we can be,” Keogh said. “We thought that having a defining image that people can look for might be helpful.”

HRC grew out of a handful of incidents back in 2017 and 2018, including racist graffiti against Asian residents in the town, with the idea that an official commission would be able to raise awareness and represent a commitment from the town toward fostering inclusive ideas.

Rosenthal’s logo, which was chosen from a handful of entries from local designers, is meant to provide a sense of openness, he wrote, and to be intentionally ambiguous and abstract, with the idea that the interpretation is driven by the viewer.

Though initially there was no prize or payment associated with the design contest, a handful of residents donated gift cards to local businesses as a way to show appreciation for the artists, according to Keogh.

Since HRC does not have a budget, Keogh said it was both helpful and inspiring to see community members step up to show their support, and also that it was “educational” to hear feedback concerning artists, and how many feel about the kinds of contests that essentially ask for free labor.

“It just honestly had not occurred to me, and it should have, and it certainly will in the future,” she said.

Going forward, Keogh said that HRC mission intends to be present, attentive, and available in the community- something that will be increasingly important once pandemic restrictions begin rolling back, and something with which a logo will help.

“Visibility is about accessibility,” she said. “We really want to encourage people to come up and talk to us—if they have issues that they think we can help resolve, or if they really aren’t sure what we do, or if they might be inclined to think we’re not a great organization for Guilford. We really want to have conversations with all kinds of people.”

“Having a symbol that people will recognize over time is really important,” she added.

For more information about the HRC including future scheduled meetings, visit www.ci.guilford.ct.us/boards/human-rights-commission.