City of Newton, MA
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City Seal Draft Designs (June 2024)
Click here for the recording of the Community Meeting discussion on June 18th regarding the three drafts.
March 28, 2024 Hybrid Public Meeting
Newton City Seal Working Group Report
Newton City Seal Report Summary
City Seal docket for CC PS mtg
Sign Up for the City Seal Newsletter
Meeting Information
The Working Group began meeting twice a month in September 2020. We know the process will include community feedback and expect it to be iterative. The Working Group will report back to Mayor Fuller with recommendations about whether to change the seal, and, if so, what that design might look like. We look forward to a lot of input from our residents and sharing the final report with the community and the City Council (which will vote on any recommended changes).
12/17/2020
Guided workshop using community feedback--identifying themes
12/3/2020
Discussion of public input session and whether the seal should remain or change
11/19/2020
Public input session
11/5/2020
Discuss three possible paths forward depending on public input & working group discussions: keep, change, or 'tweak'
10/22/2020
Discuss process
Create questions for public input
Schedule public input session
10/8/2020 (Click HERE for meeting recording)
Review updated schedule
Niki Lefebvere, Director of Natick Historical Society– 20 minutes
Kelsey Merriam, Education Manager of Historic Newton – 10 minutes
Conversation – 25 minutes
9/29/2020
Welcome (Land Acknowledgement)
Introductions
Mayor’s remarks
Project overview—review of general process, timeline, decision points
Work between now and next meeting
Set next meeting date & time
4/12/21
Lisa Dady, Hattie Kerwin Derrick meeting with Nadia Khan
Working Group meetings were held on:
2/18/21
2/25/21
3/11/21
3/18/21
3/22/21
4/1/21
4/12/21
City Seal Working Group Members
Eryn-Ashlei Bailey
Judy Battat
Judy Dore
Diana Rodriguez Doyle
Amy Golahny
Jim Murphy
Ryan Naragon
Kerry Prasad
Steve Sangapore
Rabbi Charlie Schwartz
Steven Sulewski
Issac Tang
Alyssa D’Arienzo Toro
Lisa Dady, Executive Director of Historic Newton, Chair
Hattie Kerwin-Derrick, Director of Community Engagement & Inclusion
Carol Moore, CMC
Nadia Khan, Interim City Clerk
Dana Hanson, Director of Community Engagement & Inclusion
David Olson, City Clerk
Would you like to share your ideas and thoughts about the project? Please email cityseal@newtonma.gov.
Background on our project (Mayor Fuller's Email Update 8/5/2020)
The Newton City Seal was created 155 years ago. A lot has changed since 1865, which raises some key questions:
- In what historical context was the seal designed and adopted, and what can the study of history tell us about what it conveys?
- Is the seal’s imagery still relevant in the 21stcentury?
- Is the City’s logo readable and meaningful? Is it good design?
- What does the seal mean to you, if anything?
Are there other graphics and/or words that would better portray the identity, spirit and values of Newton?
Last fall and winter, I started meeting with our Director of Historic Newton Lisa Dady, City Clerk David Olson and Dana Hanson, our Director of Community Engagement and Inclusion, to look at the history, origin and iconography of the City seal (which also appears on our City flag) and to discuss the seal’s role in representing the City. A summary of that history which Lisa Dady pulled together can be found here.
Now I think it’s time to take a deeper look at our seal. I’m calling for an Ad Hoc City Seal Working Group to be formed to study our seal (and our flag). The Working Group will work to answer the key questions above and more, and to report back to me with recommendations about whether to change the seal, and if so, what that design might look like.
Since the context of history is essential to understanding the existing symbols (in many ways they are historical artifacts) and history should inform the future, I have asked Lisa and Historic Newton to lead the working group and the public process. If possible, I’m hoping the work can finish up by the end of this year. (Please know that the City Council will vote on any recommended changes.)
If you have questions or comments about the history of the seal, or the working group’s process, please be in touch with Lisa Dady at ldady@newtonma.gov. Interested in serving? Send along a few paragraphs about why you’re interested and a resume to Lisa by Wednesday, Aug. 19. (NOTE: Deadline has passed for consideration to serve on the working group, but please visit this web page for updates on the project and ways to participate in the process.)