Author Archives: Justin Shubow

I am Justin Shubow

President of the National Civic Art Society, a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. that promotes the classical and humanistic tradition in public art and architecture. Eleventh Chairman of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, an independent federal agency comprising seven presidential appointees who are the aesthetic guardians of Washington.

Interviewed on Moment of Truth Podcast

by Justin Shubow Posted on October 29, 2024

I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Saurabh Sharma, President of American Moment, on his organization’s podcast “Moment of Truth.” We discussed President Trump and the politics of architecture, sustainability, historic preservation, the new National World War I Memorial, … Continue reading →

Posted in Americans' Preferred Architecture for Federal Buildings, architecture, Brutalism, civic architecture, classical architecture, democracy, Eisenhower Memorial, federal architecture, federal architecture legislation, Frank Gehry, historic preservation, Modernism, monuments, National Civic Art Society, National World War I Memorial, sustainability, U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, uncategorized, United Airlines Flight 93 Memorial, Washington, D.C. | Leave a comment

My Lecture on Roger Scruton’s Philosophy of Architecture

by Justin Shubow Posted on September 24, 2024

On May 19, 2024 at Georgetown University, I delivered a lecture on “Roger Scruton’s Philosophy of Architecture” at a conference on Scruton sponsored by the Center for American Culture and Ideas, the American Enterprise Institute, the Ethics & Public Policy Center, the National … Continue reading →

Posted in Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission, federal architecture, federal architecture legislation, public talks, Roger Scruton | Leave a comment

My Essay “Make America Beautiful Again”

by Justin Shubow Posted on August 22, 2024

On August 21, 2024, TomKlingenstein.com published an essay by me on beauty, virtue, and American classical architecture titled “Make America Beautiful Again.” Senator Marco Rubio called it a “must read piece.” To quote: The Victorian art critic John Ruskin thought … Continue reading →

Posted in Americans' Preferred Architecture for Federal Buildings, architecture, beauty, Brutalism, civic architecture, classical architecture, classicism, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, democracy, Edmund Burke, federal architecture, federal architecture legislation, John Ruskin, publications, Rem Koolhass, Robert Penn Warren, Thomas Jefferson | Leave a comment

Speaking at “A New Path for Beauty” Conference at the University of Cambridge

by Justin Shubow Posted on July 30, 2024

On September 7, 2024, I’ll be speaking at the University of Cambridge at a conference on “A New Path for Beauty: Shaping Tomorrow’s Institutions” sponsored by the Roger Scruton Legacy Foundation. (I serve on their Board of Advisors.) My topic … Continue reading →

Posted in federal architecture, Maria Sanchez, public talks, Roger Scruton, Roger Scruton Legacy Foundation, Rt. Hon. Michael Gove, Samuel Hughes | Leave a comment

Video of My NatCon Talk: How We Turned the Tables on Modern Architectural Eyesores

by Justin Shubow Posted on July 25, 2024

On July 10, 2024, I gave a talk on “How We Turned the Tables on Modern Architectural Eyesores” at the National Conservatism conference in Washington, D.C. I discussed policy regarding federal architecture, including President Trump’s Executive Order that re-oriented federal … Continue reading →

Posted in Americans' Preferred Architecture for Federal Buildings, federal architecture, federal architecture legislation, GSA's Design Excellence Program, Guiding Principles of Federal Architecture, uncategorized | Leave a comment

My Lecture on Ordinary People’s Preferences in Architecture

by Justin Shubow Posted on June 1, 2024

In May 2024, I gave a talk on ordinary people’s preferences in architecture at a Beauty and Ugliness in Architecture conference in Oslo, Norway. Many members of the Arkitekturupproret (Architectural Uprising), a grassroots rebellion against Modernist architecture, were there. In … Continue reading →

Posted in Americans' Preferred Architecture for Federal Buildings, Arkitekturupproret (Architectural Uprising), public talks | Leave a comment