Elmwood working on logo, video

By NICK VLAHOS
For The Weekly Post

ELMWOOD – A new official logo and a new video that promotes Elmwood are in the works.

The items are a joint effort between city officials and Discover Peoria, the Peoria Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. The video is to replace one that’s about 4 years old, according to Amy Davis, the city economic-development director. The current logo is much older than that.

“It’s been around so long that we don’t even have it digitally,” Davis said following a City Council meeting Feb. 6. “We want to do something a little more modern and we wanted to do a branding guide, so any department using our logo would use it consistently. … We need something uniform within ourselves.”

A logo prototype is expected to be ready when the council meets Feb. 20. A Discover Peoria graphic artist is creating it and a few variations, with input from Davis and others.

The new logo is to feature a lantern, among other items. The lantern is linked to the Phelps Barn, located on a farm south of Elmwood that was established by William Phelps, the city founder.

Phelps’ barn was a stop on the Underground Railroad, through which 19th-century slaves escaped to free states and Canada. A lantern at the barn signaled if it was safe for escapees to enter, Davis said.

A new description for Elmwood – “The Pioneer City” – also is to be part of the logo. The slogan is a reference to “The Pioneers,” the Lorado Taft sculpture that stands in the city square.

“The word ‘pioneer’ has so many positive thoughts with it – moving forward, but also just strength and solidarity,” Davis said.

The promotional video is expected to be about one minute long, according to Davis. The city is to feature the video on its website and its social-media accounts. It’s also expected to be available at the Discover Peoria website and shown before movies at The Palace Theater, as is the case with the current video.

Discover Peoria hired contractors to assemble the new video, which might debut in mid-to-late summer, Davis said. The logo and video are among services the city receives for its Discover Peoria membership.
Regarding action items, the council approved a tax-increment-financing grant of $180 to Elmwood Insurance Services. The grant represents 50% of the cost of a new sign for that business, according to Davis.

The council also authorized dates for the Elmwood Strawberry Festival (June 1) and Fall Festival (Sept. 5-7). The approvals give the Illinois Department of Transportation sufficient notice regarding street closures.