SR1160 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1160 LRB101 21185 LAW 71742 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Victor Skrebneski of Chicago, who passed away on April 4, 2020; and

WHEREAS, Victor Skrebneski was born in Chicago to Joseph and Anna Skrebneski on December 17, 1929; he grew up in a row house at Grand and Rush in Chicago; he attended Waller High School in Chicago; he later attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1943 and the Institute of Design at the Illinois Institute of Technology from 1947 to 1949; and

WHEREAS, Victor Skrebneski began working as a photographer in New York and Europe from 1950 to 1951; he set up his own photography studio in Chicago in 1952; he became the exclusive photographer for Estée Lauder's worldwide ad campaign "the Estée Lauder woman" in 1962; he worked on ad campaigns for a number of fashion labels, including Chanel, Ralph Lauren, Marshall Field's, and Saks; he began creating promotional posters for the Chicago International Film Festival in 1966, which were noted by founder Michael Kutza for putting the festival on the map; he was instrumental in creating the City Gallery, a permanent photography gallery at the Chicago Water Tower, in 1999; he also designed the Water Tower Park, which was opened and dedicated by then-Mayor Richard M. Daley on July 7, 2000; he published a number of photography books and catalogues, with his first book released in 1969 and his 18th photojournalism book printed in 2019; and

WHEREAS, Over the course of his 70-year career, Victor Skrebneski became known for his iconic black and white portraits of artists, musicians, politicians, actors, models, religious leaders, and writers; his subjects included Bette Davis, Orson Welles, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, Cindy Crawford, Oprah Winfrey, and many more; he was noted by former subjects for his ability to capture them as they really were; and

WHEREAS, Victor Skrebneski's work has been featured in exhibits in his native Chicago and around the world, in addition to being a part of permanent collections in a number of museums located in Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles; he has earned a number of awards and honors, including the Gold Hugo Award from the Chicago International Film Festival in 1989, the Beautification Award from Keep Chicago Beautiful in 2002, and the Legends Awards from the Pratt Institute of New York in 2004; and

WHEREAS, Victor Skrebneski was a lifelong Chicagoan; he was known for being well-dressed, down-to-earth, mischievously humorous, fairly private, and kind; he especially enjoyed parties and dining at La Scarola on 721 West Grand Avenue in Chicago; and

WHEREAS, Victor Skrebneski will be remembered for his creative genius and his lasting impact on both photography and the City of Chicago; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Victor Skrebneski and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Victor Skrebneski as an expression of our deepest sympathy.