The Nederland Area Historical Society (NAHS) has been working diligently to plan events, activities, and presentations for Nederland’s 150th Anniversary Celebration. In addition to the parades, potlucks, and pancake breakfasts planned for the weekend of August 2, 3, and 4, 2024, a logo contest is being held, much like the one that was held 50 years ago.

For the Town of Nederland’s Centennial Celebration the Nederland Historical Society, as it was then, sponsored a competition amongst the junior and senior high school students to design the official Centennial seal. The Chamber of Commerce donated the grand prize of $5.

Malcolm Farley, a Nederland High School senior, athlete, and artist, won that contest back in 1974, and now one of Malcolm’s teachers is offering to donate the $5 prize money for a new competition, though adjusted for inflation.

“I taught Physical Education and coached at NHS in the 1970s, then moved down to the Elementary School and retired from there in 2003,” Lee Tillotson wrote in a letter to the Nederland Middle-Senior High School’s (NMSHS) art department. “My husband and I have lived in Ned for 51 years and our daughters both went through Ned schools. Our daughter Loren now teaches PE at Ned Elementary.

An awesome opportunity to shine: Malcolm Farley won the same contest in 1974, having designed the logo for Nederland’s centennial celebration and winning a $5 prize[/caption]

“In 1974 one of my students designed the Nederland Centennial Logo and won $5 for the design. I am hoping one of your art students might design this year’s 150th design and I would like to offer the winner the $5, which with inflation would be $30.51.”

Teacher Judie Sievers will be spearheading the logo contest through NMSHS. The contest challenges youth to design a logo, or seal, for Nederland’s 150th anniversary, which will be displayed prominently during the festivities, as well as featured on advertisements and merchandise.

According to the contest guidelines provided by the NAHS, the logo should include some form of tagline referring to Nederland’s sesquicentennial, either including the word “sesquicentennial,” the number 150, or Nederland date of establishment, “1874.”

All entries must be the artist’s original work, which can be created using traditional artistic mediums, including computer drawing programs. The logo is expected to be “simple, not overly detailed, and all elements must be identifiable when reproduced in smaller sizes.”

In addition to the $30.51 donated by Tillotson, the Nederland Visitor’s Center contributed $50, and NAHS contributed $100, to offer a very symbolic $150 in prize money to the winner of the contest.

Designs are to be delivered in a .jpeg or .png format and cannot contain any clipart or pre-made templates.

For more information please email NederlandHistory@gmail.com or engagement@nederlandco.org.