Good Neighbor: Kara Giles

GOOD NEIGHBOR

KARA GILES

INTERVIEWED BY LESLIE CRISS | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOE WORTHEM

worked for the City of Oxford and Mayor Robyn Tannehill since 2018. She has a degree in studio art from Rhodes College and a graduate degree in art education from the University of Mississippi. She runs Nest Paper Studio, a stationery and gift boutique, which now operates as a home-based business specializing in custom graphic design. Kara and husband, Cody Giles, are parents to two boys, ages 12 and 16. She is proud to be a Mississippi resident for more than 22 years and honored to be a part of this historic moment in Mississippi history. sion to Redesign the Mississippi State Flag? A: The Commissioners were allowed to call upon graphic designers to help them throughout the process, and Mayor Tannehill asked me to advise and contribute designs. I submitted both original designs and modified other designs as well. Q: Explain your work with the Commission. A: I worked on new designs and modified designs pretty consistently throughout the weeks the Commission was working toward the final design. I watched each Commission meeting live and would make changes they were discussing (and my own suggested changes) and quickly send them over to them to view. (I also) monitored public comment to determine what both the Commissioners and the public liked and didn’t like.

Q: What sort of thought went into your work with some of the flag submissions? A: It was important to me to consider the meaning of each color and element. I felt strongly any flag that had the potential of making it to the ballot would need to be stately and sophisticated, timeless and strong. For this reason, I chose to focus only on designs that were red and blue, or red, white and blue, as some of the other colors could come across as too trendy in my opinion. Many of my designs, and the final design, featured a magnolia motif. The final design’s magnolia was created, for the most part, by Sue Anna Joe and immediately stood out to me as a great magnolia. It is just modern enough, and is recognizable without being too literal. I think it is a fantastic design element. I chose the font Americana

Kara Witherspoon Giles, who helped design Mississippi’s new state flag, has Q: How were you involved in the Commis-

BT for obvious reasons. Q: How does it feel to see a flag you designed representing the state of Mississippi? A: It is humbling, to say the least. The gravity of it did not quite set in until the very end. When I saw it go up the pole in front of the Old Capitol as part of the final five, I was overwhelmed and proud. Now, it is flying around Oxford in a few places, and it makes me smile every time I see it. I am so grateful for the support behind this effort.

Visit invitationmag.com to read the thoughtful narrative of the New Magnolia flag that Giles wrote and submitted with her winning design for the new Mississippi state flag.