Proud Duck T-shirt, designed by Bradenton artist, celebrates Pride Month
Talented local artist Connie Wolgast revisited several ideas for T-shirts designs while sheltered at home during the pandemic.
Wolgast, who had been previously working as a baker, produced a design for Proud Duck T-shirts, which celebrates Pride Month.
Her initial inspiration was drawn from a very upright duck that she saw in 2011 in Grants Pass, Ore.
“It made me smile and I wanted to pass along that feeling to others,” Wolgast said of her design. “Every time I think of that moment I smile. That Odd Duck became my mascot, and sharing that smile became my goal.”
Her Proud Duck design displays a circular pattern of ducks in all the colors of the Rainbow Flag, representing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer pride and LGBTQ social movements.
The original 1978 flag design has been modified over the years, most recently with the addition of black, brown, light blue, pink, and white stripes to represent marginalized people.
Arlene Clark, a friend and neighbor, says that Wolgast is creative, imaginative and easy to work with. Another of her creations was a design for the Anna Maria Island Historical Society, featuring Anna Maria’s old city jail.
“Her duck design is whimsical and so cute,” Clark said.
Wolgast starts the creative process by hand drawing her designs, and then uploading them into a computer, where she can color and tweak them.
“There may be messages in the designs and there may not be. The designs are created with humor and the intent is to make you smile and be happy. I look forward to your smiles and may the odds be with you,” she said.
During Pride month, many big businesses dress their logos in rainbows. Some times small businesses and independent creators that promote Pride get overlooked.
Fact is, small business owners in the community and independent creators helped build the Pride movement. Today, these independents can be identified by rainbow stickers on their storefronts and an out-and-proud presence in online marketplaces, Wolgast said in press release announcing her Proud Duck design.
“Proud Ducks” T-shirts are available on the Odd Duck Designs Shop on Etsy.com.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month is celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, according to the Library of Congress.
“I think it is great. It gives people a reason to celebrate and be proud of who they are,” Wolgast said of Pride Month.
For more information about Odd Duck Designs, visit Facebook or Instagram.
This story was originally published June 11, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
