State looks to Alaska for inspiration for new 'heirloom' birth certificates

By Jack Broom
Seattle Times staff reporter

"Polar Bears" by artist Jon Van Zyle is one of two heirloom birth certificates available in Alaska and an inspiration to other states, including Washington.

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Attention, babies: An ordinary birth certificate says you were born. An "heirloom" birth certificate says you've arrived.

Attention, artists: This could be your chance to welcome Washington's newest residents, help fight child abuse and pick up $2,000 in prize money along the way.

Here's the deal. Instead of settling for a normal, everyday birth certificate, with its plain type stacked in a simple column and straightforward government-issue appearance, Washington-born humans can get a fancier version, suitable for framing. Of the $25 price, $14.50 goes to the council's programs to reduce child abuse and neglect, and is tax-deductible. The rest helps finance the state Department of Health.

If you didn't know what an heirloom birth certificate was, fret not. Only about 15 states have them. And of the 79,000 babies born in Washington last year, only about 340 got them.

How to enter • Only Washington residents may enter the competition to design a new heirloom birth certificate. • Entrants need to submit a design concept and eight to 10 samples of previous work. • Entries must be postmarked by May 14. • For details, see www.wcpcan.wa.gov or call 206-464-6151.

"We haven't been doing a good job of getting the word out," confesses Chris Jamieson, spokeswoman for the Washington Council for Prevention of Child Abuse & Neglect.

Washington has had an heirloom certificate since the 1980s: A conservative, floral, arch-shaped design in muted tones, suggestive of a tablet Moses brought down from the mountain, or, well, an old-style tombstone.

Customers have complained that even its size, 14 inches tall by 8.5 inch wide, makes it awkward to frame and display. The new work would be an easily framed 8 by 10 inches.

Here's where you artists, illustrators and graphic designers come in. Washington officials don't just want to call attention to our heirloom certificate, they want to update it.

You've got until May 14 to send in your proposal. You don't need to send the complete certificate, Jamieson said, but the jurors will want to see a design proposal, a cover letter, a résumé or biography (two pages, tops) and eight to 10 slides of your previous work. Only Washington residents may submit.

	"The Embrace," left, by noted artist Rie Muñoz, is the second of two heirloom birth certificates available in Alaska.

No, thank you, to traditional, generic images of babyhood — diaper pins, bottles, plush lambs with bows. Yes, please, to what the council calls "designs that represent Washington State and/or work that is representative of one or more diverse cultures in Washington."

Washington's existing heirloom certificate, in use since 1989, was adapted from one used in Oregon. But for inspiration on bringing it into the 21st century, Jamieson is looking is north, not south.

Alaskans who pay $40 for the honor can choose between two versions. One, adopted in 1998, features a mother-and-baby painting, "The Embrace," by artist Rie Muñoz. The other, a recently added design by painter John Van Zyle, shows a polar bear and her two cubs against the Northern Lights.

Together, the two designs brought in 425 orders in the last fiscal year, with most of the money going to the Alaska Children's Trust Fund to fight child abuse.

The price of Washington's heirloom, unchanged since it was introduced, is expected to jump to $35 or $40 once a new version is produced, Jamieson said.

Jamieson said the new design for the new Washington certificate could de selected by the end of this month, completed and unveiled in September and produced in December for parents and grandparents looking for that special gift for a new arrival.

You don't even have to be a baby to get one, although it helps if you once were. Anyone born in Washington can obtain one, with the proper information, through the Department of Health. For ordering information, see www.doh.wa.gov/ehsphl/chs/heirloom.htm or call 360-236-4300.

But what if you take your fancy new birth certificate to an agency or business that doesn't recognize it as "real?"

"Since not a lot of people know about these, that's a possibility we are looking at," Jamieson said. With the unveiling of a new design, the council plans a publicity campaign to boost awareness of the document, not just among potential customers, but among offices and agencies that routinely check birth certificates.

But since you don't have to give up your original birth certificate to get an heirloom version, people who need to show one often might carry their regular one and leave the heirloom at home.

Programs that receive funds from Washington's heirloom certificates:

How to get one • A Washington State heirloom birth certificate costs $25, $14.50 of which is tax-deductible. The price is currently expected to increase when a new design comes out late this year. • You don't need to give up your regular birth certificate to order one. • If you were born in another state, you may contact that state's health department to see if it offers an heirloom birth certificate. • For ordering information in Washington state, see www.doh.wa.gov/ehsphl/ or call 360-236-4300.

• Help parents recognize the importance of nurturing and care on early brain development;

• Connect parents with services in their communities to reduce feelings of isolation;

• Help teen parents improve their self-awareness and confidence in responding to their infants' needs;

• Help support low-income parents of medically fragile infants.

Heirloom birth certificates are legal documents, signed by the governor and state registrar.

The Washington State Arts Commission and Artist Trust will help in the selection of a new design. Artists seeking more information can check www.wcpcan.wa.gov or call 206-464-6151.

And if you need help visually representing Washington, how about this: An American goldfinch munching a green darner dragonfly in a western hemlock above a steelhead humming "Louie Louie" in a field of bluebunch wheatgrass dotted with coast rhododendrons and apple trees?

Granted, that might be a little busy, graphics-wise. But it would combine, in order, the state's official bird, insect, tree, fish, rock song, grass, flower and fruit.

Jack Broom: 206-464-2222 or jbroom@seattletimes.com.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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