Category Archives: classicism
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.
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
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Lecturing on Citizenship and Public Architecture at First Things Magazine
On August 9, 2024, I had the pleasure of giving a talk on “Citizenship and Public Architecture” at First Things magazine’s intellectual retreat at the Union League Club in New York City. To quote: [T]he classical tradition recrudesced in early … Continue reading
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.
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Interviewed About the Philosophy Underlying Modernist Architecture at Sivilisasjonen
Joining the Board of Advisors of the Roger Scruton Legacy Foundation
I’m pleased to report that I’ve joined the Board of Advisors of the new Roger Scruton Legacy Foundation, which honors the work of the eponymous British philosopher, critic, and author who served on the National Civic Art Society’s Board of … Continue reading
RealClearPolitics Profile of the National Civic Art Society
People Who Hate the Eisenhower Memorial By Matthew Disler – July 19, 2015 RealClearPolitics Tourists milled around the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial last Friday, snapping photos in front of the 30-foot tall granite statue of the civil rights leader … Continue reading
Speaking in NYC About Federal Architecture on Dec. 17
On December 17 at the National Arts Club in New York, I’m going to be speaking about federal architecture. Here’s the description from the club’s bulletin: Justin Shubow: The Architecture of Democracy Wednesday, December 17, 8:00 PM The General Services … Continue reading
Posted in architecture, civic architecture, classicism, courthouses, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, deconstructionism, deconstructivism, federal architecture, GSA's Design Excellence Program, Guiding Principles of Federal Architecture, HBRA Architects, Morphosis, National Civic Art Society, Pericles, public talks, Thom Mayne, Thomas Beeby
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We Must Preserve the Founders’ Classical Vision for Our Nation’s Capital
Below is an essay I published in Public Discourse last month. It is an adaptation of the June 1, 2012 testimony I delivered before the U.S. House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands on “The Future of the … Continue reading
Posted in architecture, beauty, civic architecture, classicism, congressional testimony, Eisenhower Memorial, Frank Lloyd Wright, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, George Washington, historic preservation, Jefferson Memorial, Joseph Hudnut, L'Enfant Plan, Lincoln Memorial, McMillan Plan, Modernism, National Civic Art Society, National Gallery of Art, National Mall, National Park Service, Spirit of the Times, Thomas Jefferson, uncategorized, Washington, D.C.
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Classical Architecture Inspires a Return to Beauty in Classical Music
Goethe famously said that “Architecture is music frozen in time.” Expressing that literally, Le Corbusier and composer Iannis Xenakis co-designed the Philips Pavilion for Expo ’58 in Brussels. In particular, the hyperboloid building, shaped like a stomach, was inspired by … Continue reading