AUGUSTA -- Augusta has a capital-sized identity crisis to figure out.

In seeking to create a marketable brand or image for itself, those brainstorming ideas for logos, images and taglines must answer one question: Is being identified as the state capital a blessing or a curse?

Approximately 35 residents came with ideas about the city's identity to a brainstorming session Wednesday.

Some spoke out against the tendency of the city of Augusta to be identified, elsewhere in Maine, as the home of state government, and all the baggage that comes with it.

But the city is so much more than the capital, they said.

"The citizens of Augusta, as a city, have had an identity crisis, they've been overshadowed by the government of Maine," said David Smith, a member of the city's Comprehensive Plan Committee, which recommended the city work to create a brand image for itself. "The rest of the state's image of Augusta is 50-50, positive or negative, all based on what's going on at the Statehouse or the Blaine House.

"Members of the community need to stand up and be proud of their city. Not everybody in Augusta is a legislator or bureaucrat."

Other residents said the city should embrace its identity as a state capital.

"I've always thought of Augusta being the state capital as a blessing. My point of view is we should hitch our wagon to the capital," said resident Glenn Adams. "There are only 50 capitals in the United States, and we're one of them. And we stack up pretty high."

Ideas for a tagline to be used to market the city included:

* "All roads lead to Augusta"

* "Surprise, it's Augusta"

* "Riverside Augusta: Where the current meets the past"

* "Augusta river city, watch it grow"

* "A-Town"

* "There's only one capital"

* "Friendly capital on the Kennebec"

* "Maine's heart and heartbeat"

* "Historic Augusta on the Kennebec"

* "Capital city on the river"

* "Martha Ballard's town"

* "Augusta, a Mecca of history, culture and fun"

* "A great place to raise a family"

* "Capital downtown on the riverfront."

Resident Jane Burke had several well-received, humorous suggestions aimed at embracing on what is unique about Augusta.

"We have a lot of odd stuff in Augusta, a real mixed bag," she said. "We need to embrace that stuff, because it's cool. We need to have a sense of humor about ourselves, and not be pretentious."

Her suggestions included: "We're Augusta, deal with it"; "Big boxes are us"; "Don't let us scare you"; and "City of two Staples."

Mayor Roger Katz noted the city's downtown is hard to find for people not familiar with Augusta.

Ideas were also sought for visual images that could be used on about 20 directional signs to be placed around the city, directing visitors to the downtown.

The most often-repeated ideas for visual images of the city to be used on the signs were: Memorial Bridge, specifically its arches; Old Fort Western, specifically its block house; the Kennebec River; and the Capitol dome.

Keith Edwards -- 621-5647

kedwards@centralmaine.com