Skokie artist Joe Folise said it’s hard to believe it has been 45 years since his stained glass art piece of the village of Skokie’s former seal was installed in the Board of Trustees Chamber. He spoke at the unveiling of his mosaic of the new, updated seal on June 16.
The new seal was presented to the public at the Board of Trustees meeting, unveiled by the village’s keeper of the seal, Village Clerk Minal Desai, and Mayor Ann Tennes.
“It feels especially meaningful to mark this next chapter with all of you,” Folise said, moments before a curtain was pulled to show his new mosaic, made of Italian glass. “We are honoring the leadership that has shaped this community and celebrating the vision that carries it forward.”
Earlier in March, the Village Board approved the village’s new “Skokie Spirit” seal, depicting cattails and the word “Wabskoki,” the Potawatomi word for marsh, from which Skokie inherits its name.
Folise said the Venice, Italy foundry from which the mosaic material was sourced has been in operation since 1888, the same year as Skokie’s incorporation. The village was known then as Niles Center.
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“That connection made the choice of material feel especially fitting,” Folise said.
Folise also created the “Skokie Spirit” stained glass artwork on Village Hall facing Oakton Street, and has contributed to various “Welcome to Skokie” signs and artwork at the North Shore Channel Park.
“Joe was an esteemed member of the village’s Public Works and Engineering division for many, many years, and he is our artist,” Tennes said.
The next step in permanently removing the village’s former seal, which some have said is insensitive, is a redesign of the village’s flag, which has the village’s former seal on it. Currently, the village is accepting designs for a new flag until September through its online portal and in person at Village Hall at 5127 Oakton St., Skokie.