Category Archives: civic architecture

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 the Who Versus Podcast

by Justin Shubow Posted on May 31, 2025

On May 29, 2025, I appeared on the Who Versus podcast for a fun and freewheeling discussion about architecture, power, and the values embedded in our public buildings. What began as a discussion of Brutalism and the movie The Brutalist … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, beauty, Brutalism, civic architecture, classical architecture, deconstructionism, deconstructivism, Eisenhower Memorial, Executive Order on federal architecture, FBI building, federal architecture, Frank Gehry, Guiding Principles of Federal Architecture, Harris Poll, HHS Building, HUD Building, L'Enfant Plan, McMillan Plan, Mies van der Rohe, Modernism, National Civic Art Society, National Mall, Nazis, nihilism, Philip Johnson, President Donald Trump, The Brutalist, uncategorized, Walter Gropius, Washington, D.C., Washington, D.C. Metro | Leave a comment

Interviewed by Le Point: “Justin Shubow, Donald Trump’s ‘Mr. Architecture'”

by Justin Shubow Posted on March 19, 2025

Le Point, a French weekly newspaper, published an interview of me as well as a companion news article, “Donald Trump’s Major Offensive Against ‘Just Really Ugly’ Architecture.” To quote the interview (via Google translate): He is Donald Trump’s Mr. Architecture. Appointed chairman of the … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, beauty, Brutalism, civic architecture, classical architecture, classicism, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Étienne-Louis Boullée, Executive Order on federal architecture, FBI building, federal architecture, Forrestal building, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, General Services Administration, GSA's Design Excellence Program, Guiding Principles of Federal Architecture, Harris Poll, Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe, Modernism, National Civic Art Society, President Donald Trump, Thomas Jefferson, U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, ugliness, Washington, D.C. Metro | Leave a comment

Endorsed for Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts by Victor Davis Hanson on His Podcast

by Justin Shubow Posted on December 24, 2024

In December 2024, I was interviewed about public architecture, monuments, and the future of the National Endowment for the Arts on the podcast of esteemed historian Victor Davis Hanson, recipient of the National Humanities Medal from President George W. Bush. Jack Fowler co-hosted. … Continue reading →

Posted in art, beauty, civic architecture, classical architecture, Eisenhower Memorial, federal architecture, Frank Gehry, National Endowment for the Arts, National World War I Memorial, poetry, President Donald Trump, uncategorized, United Airlines Flight 93 Memorial, Victor Davis Hanson | Leave a comment

Interviewed on the Daily Signal Sitdown Podcast

by Justin Shubow Posted on December 19, 2024

Bradley Devlin, politics editor of the Daily Signal, interviewed me on the Signal Sitdown podcast. It was a wide-ranging conversation that included President Trump’s desire to beautify federal architecture, the new National Eisenhower Memorial (bad), the new National World War … Continue reading →

Posted in Americans' Preferred Architecture for Federal Buildings, civic architecture, classical architecture, Eisenhower Memorial, GSA's Design Excellence Program, National World War I Memorial, Pennsylvania Station, President Donald Trump, Theodore Roosevelt, Washington, D.C., Winston Churchill | Leave a comment

Interviewed on the DC EKG Podcast

by Justin Shubow Posted on November 5, 2024

Joe Grogan, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council in the Trump administration, interviewed me on the DC EKG podcast. I spoke at length about the magnificent new classical National World War I Memorial in Washington, D.C. I also … Continue reading →

Posted in Brutalism, civic architecture, classical architecture, Eisenhower Memorial, federal architecture, Frank Gehry, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, General Services Administration, Jefferson Memorial, Joe Grogan, L'Enfant Plan, Martin Luther King Memorial, McMillan Plan, Modernism, monuments, National Civic Art Society, National Mall, National World War I Memorial, public talks, sculpture, U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, United Airlines Flight 93 Memorial, Washington, D.C. | Leave a comment

Intercollegiate Studies Institute Interview of Me

by Justin Shubow Posted on November 1, 2024

I was glad to sit down with Johnny Burtka, president and CEO of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI), for an interview about my work at the National Civic Art Society. I discussed how beauty, art, and architecture shape a flourishing … Continue reading →

Posted in Americans' Preferred Architecture for Federal Buildings, civic architecture, classical architecture, democracy, federal architecture, federal architecture legislation, Modernism, monuments, National World War I Memorial, public talks, Thomas Jefferson, United Airlines Flight 93 Memorial, Washington, D.C. | Leave a comment

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 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