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 DC EKG Podcast

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

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

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”

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

Interviewed on Liberty Law Talk Podcast

Liberty Law Talk, a podcast of Law & Liberty, featured an interview of National Civic Art Society President Justin Shubow in which he talks about the influence of civic architecture on body politic, the role of the U.S. Commission of … Continue reading

Posted in American Institute of Architects (AIA), Americans' Preferred Architecture for Federal Buildings, architecture, beauty, Brutalism, civic architecture, classicism, courthouses, deconstructionism, deconstructivism, federal architecture, federal architecture legislation, General Services Administration, George Washington, GSA's Design Excellence Program, Guiding Principles of Federal Architecture, Harris Poll, Jefferson Memorial, Modernism, monuments, National Civic Art Society, sculpture, Thom Mayne, Thomas Jefferson, U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, ugliness, Washington, D.C. | Leave a comment

Interviewed on DC EKG Podcast

A show about the “what and why” of Washington, the DC EKG podcast featured an hour-long interview of me. The show is hosted by Joe Grogan, former director of the U.S. Domestic Policy Council under President Trump, and Eric Ueland, former director of … Continue reading

Posted in Americans' Preferred Architecture for Federal Buildings, architecture, beauty, civic architecture, courthouses, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, federal architecture, federal architecture legislation, General Services Administration, GSA's Design Excellence Program, Guiding Principles of Federal Architecture, Harris Poll, Modernism, National Civic Art Society, U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, Walter Gropius | Leave a comment

Speaking at the International Making Cities Livable Conference in England

In October 2023, I had the pleasure of delivering a talk on “Ordinary People’s Aesthetic Preferences in Architecture” at the International Making Cities Livable Conference in Dorchester, England. I also participated in a discussion with George Ferguson, former mayor of … Continue reading

Posted in Americans' Preferred Architecture for Federal Buildings, civic architecture, federal architecture, Harris Poll, public talks, uncategorized | Leave a comment

Epoch Times Interview of Me

The February 2, 2021 issue of The Epoch Times features an extensive interview of me. It is titled “Making America’s Civic Architecture Great Again,” and you can read it here HERE. The interview begins: “Whenever it is proposed to prepare … Continue reading

Posted in Americans' Preferred Architecture for Federal Buildings, beauty, civic architecture, federal architecture, GSA's Design Excellence Program, Guiding Principles of Federal Architecture, National Civic Art Society, U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, Washington, D.C. | Leave a comment