Village Celebrates Selection of New Logo
By DARLA M. YOUNGS
COOPERSTOWN
Attendees at the “Welcome Home Cooperstown” monthly meet and greet on Tuesday, July 1 were treated to a first look at the village’s new logo, as officials announced the winner of its logo contest and unveiled the new graphic.
A panel of judges including individuals from the Cooperstown Art Association, Fenimore Art Museum, the Village of Cooperstown Library, and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum were asked to provide feedback on the 12 designs that were submitted.
“The individuals from those organizations all worked independently and submitted their responses individually,” explained Cooperstown Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh. “Which was interesting, as they all chose different first choices! And gave the rationale for their selections.”
According to Deputy Mayor Cindy Falk, that feedback was received and reviewed by the village’s Community and Environment Committee, which determined the finalists based on the panel’s input.
This process helped officials narrow the logo options down to half a dozen, from which four finalists were chosen in a “blind” review. The artists—whose identities were unknown to the judges—were then given the opportunity to make minor changes in their designs if they wanted to, based on the feedback from the selection committees, Tillapaugh said.
The Village Board of Trustees made the final decision from those amended designs, tapping Oneonta resident Celeste Leone for the win.
According to Tillapaugh, the Welcome Home Cooperstown gathering proved to be the perfect setting for the announcement.
“The WHC events attract many people and the setting in front of Village Hall can’t be beat,” she elaborated. “As it turned out, the first of the Lakefront Park concerts was shifted to the porch of the Village Hall, as it appeared it would rain, so as WHC wrapped up, the concert began, featuring the Woodshed Prophets duo. And it didn’t rain!”
Regarding Leone’s final design, Falk said comments were favorable toward the diamond shape, which made the design stand out and also visually connected with baseball. The emphasis on the lake, which was featured in all submissions in one way or another, was also a real positive according to Falk.
“Yes, the baseball diamond was liked by many,” Tillapaugh agreed, “and actually was used in several submissions. In describing the logo on July 1st, Celeste noted that when she thought of our founding nearly 240 years ago, the lake was the constant, and not buildings or museums. So she particularly wanted to focus on that.”
Falk said of the process, “Working on the logo project made me realize just how fortunate we are to have so many talented and generous people in the community, including the designers and the reviewers. It also made all of us stop and think about what makes Cooperstown so special.
“Baseball is definitely part of our story, but the village’s history is more than that. This design includes the ‘founding’ date, but it also showcases what we know as Council Rock, reminding us of the Indigenous history that came before European settlement,” Falk continued. “Perhaps most importantly, Leone’s image really focuses on Otsego Lake and the surrounding hillsides, which frame our village and contribute to its unique character.”
Tillapaugh said she loved the way all the submitted designs incorporated Otsego Lake and, in the case of Leone’s design, framed it in the baseball diamond.
“The one constant throughout our village’s history is the lake and its use by Indigenous people as well as early immigrant settlers,” Tillapaugh said. “For me, Celeste’s design pays tribute to the natural beauty of our region—beautiful Glimmerglass, reflecting the wooded slopes surrounding it.”
