Oak Park in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Longfellow Mosaics

Stories of our Neighborhood

Photographed By Sean Flynn

1. Longfellow Mosaics Marker

Inscription.

Longfellow Mosaics. Stories of our Neighborhood. The mural you see to the left, was inspired by the work of Longfellow Elementary School art students in 2000. , , Artist Mirtes Zwierzynski together with Longfellow School's art teacher Chris Worley, students, and PTO gathered to create an outdoor art installation thanks to a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. Her work with the school became: , , Stories of Our Neighborhood , , History of the Mosaics , Five mosaic columns were made for a community space to be located behind Longfellow School. The columns, adorned with mosaic tiles, depict the stories of Oak Park's geography, history, and people from prehistoric times through the present. First- through sixth-grade Longfellow students worked in art class using a grade-level curriculum to guide their work. , , The original goal was to have the columns installed by the 100th anniversary of our village in 2002. The installation of the columns and the plaza that was to surround them in the Longfellow field never happened. , , More than twenty years following the completion of the project, Longfellow PTO graciously donated "Stories of Our Neighborhood" to proudly display outside the Park District's Community Recreation Center (CRC). , , In order to transform this artwork into a mural for display, Camille Wilson White, of the Oak Park Area Arts Council, worked with Carolyn Elaine, a mosaicist who was mentored and trained by Mirtes, to perform this work as part of the Off the Wall Summer Arts Employment program. The students worked over two summers to transform the mosaics into a mural that could be installed at the entrance to welcome visitors to the CRC. , , This mural honors the creativity and hard work of all who helped create this beautiful artwork and made this project possible to share with our community, including: , . Longfellow Elementary School PTO , . Longfellow art teacher Chris Worley and students , . Artist Mirtes Zwierzynski , . Camille Wilson White, Oak Park Area Arts Council , . Mosaicist Carolyn Elaine , . Off the Wall Summer Arts Employment Program apprentices , , The Design Concepts , 1: Preshistoric Oak Park was part of Lake Chicago. , 2: When the Potowatimi lived in Oak Park, it was a wetland prairie. , 3: After the Chicago Fire of 1871, the population of Oak Park boomed. , 4: In the 1950s, Oak Park was the shopping center hub for residents of the westside of Chicago and the near western suburbs. , 5: Today, Oak Park is a community for all!

The mural you see to the left, was inspired by the work of Longfellow Elementary School art students in 2000.

Artist Mirtes Zwierzynski together with Longfellow School's art teacher Chris Worley, students, and PTO gathered to create an outdoor art installation thanks to a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. Her work with the school became:

Stories of Our Neighborhood

History of the Mosaics
Five mosaic columns were made for a community space to be located behind Longfellow School. The columns, adorned with mosaic tiles, depict the stories of Oak Park's geography, history, and people from prehistoric times through the present. First- through sixth-grade Longfellow students worked in art class using a grade-level curriculum to guide their work.

The original goal was to have the columns installed by the 100th anniversary of our village in 2002. The installation of the columns and the plaza that was to surround them in the Longfellow field never happened.

More than twenty years following the completion of the project, Longfellow PTO graciously donated "Stories of Our Neighborhood" to proudly display outside the Park District's Community Recreation Center (CRC).

In order to transform this artwork into a mural for display, Camille Wilson White,

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of the Oak Park Area Arts Council, worked with Carolyn Elaine, a mosaicist who was mentored and trained by Mirtes, to perform this work as part of the Off the Wall Summer Arts Employment program. The students worked over two summers to transform the mosaics into a mural that could be installed at the entrance to welcome visitors to the CRC.

This mural honors the creativity and hard work of all who helped create this beautiful artwork and made this project possible to share with our community, including:
• Longfellow Elementary School PTO
• Longfellow art teacher Chris Worley and students
• Artist Mirtes Zwierzynski
• Camille Wilson White, Oak Park Area Arts Council
• Mosaicist Carolyn Elaine
• Off the Wall Summer Arts Employment Program apprentices

The Design Concepts
1: Preshistoric Oak Park was part of Lake Chicago.
2: When the Potowatimi lived in Oak Park, it was a wetland prairie.
3: After the Chicago Fire of 1871, the population of Oak Park boomed.
4: In the 1950s, Oak Park was the shopping center hub for residents of the westside of Chicago and the near western suburbs.
5: Today, Oak Park is a community for all!

Erected 2023 by Park District of Oak Park; Illinois Arts Council; Oak Park Area Arts Council.

Topics. This historical marker

Longfellow Mosaics at the Oak Park Community Recreation Center image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Sean Flynn, November 2, 2023

2. Longfellow Mosaics at the Oak Park Community Recreation Center

The five mosaics are posted above the parking lot to Oak Park's CRC. The marker is visible below and to the right.

is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Arts, Letters, Music • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 2000.

Location. 41° 52.781′ N, 87° 46.862′ W. Marker is in Oak Park, Illinois, in Cook County. Marker is at the intersection of Harvey Avenue and Madison Street on Harvey Avenue. The marker is on the south-facing wall of Oak Park's Community Recreation Center, in the parking lot on the building's rear. The parking lot is only accessible for automobiles via Highland Avenue, a block west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 229 Madison Street, Oak Park IL 60302, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Oak Park (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (approx. 0.2 miles away); Gold Star Men of the World War (approx. ¼ mile away); Austin VFW Post 2955 War Memorial (approx. half a mile away); OPRF Museum (approx. 0.6 miles away); a different marker also named Gold Star Men of the World War (approx. 0.6 miles away); Staff Sergeant John Thomas Brennan (approx. 0.6 miles away); American Elm (Memorial to George Washington) (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Oak Park.

Oak Park's Community Recreation Complex image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Sean Flynn, November 2, 2023

3. Oak Park's Community Recreation Complex

Opened in May 2023

More about this marker. Oak Park's Community Recreation Center opened in May 2023.

Also see . . . Community mosaics find home after 21 years. A 2021 article about the mosaics' more than two-decade journey to the wall of Oak Park's new recreation center. (Submitted on November 2, 2023, by Sean Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Credits. This page was last revised on November 5, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 2, 2023, by Sean Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 44 times since then and 9 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 2, 2023, by Sean Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.