Category Archives: National Civic Art Society

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 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

My Article for City Journal: Trump Will Beautify Civic Architecture

by Justin Shubow Posted on February 1, 2025

On January 31, 2025, I published an article for City Journal, a publication of the Manhattan Institute, titled “Trump Is Right: America’s New Buildings Are Ugly.” To quote: President Donald Trump has made it clear that the aesthetics of government … Continue reading →

Posted in Executive Order on federal architecture, FBI building, federal architecture, Guiding Principles of Federal Architecture, memorandum on federal architecture, National Civic Art Society, National Endowment for the Arts, Pennsylvania Station, President Donald Trump, Rebuild Penn Station, uncategorized, Washington, D.C. | 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

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

Interviewed on Liberty Law Talk Podcast

by Justin Shubow Posted on November 20, 2023

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

by Justin Shubow Posted on November 6, 2023

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

Epoch Times Interview of Me

by Justin Shubow Posted on February 3, 2021

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

Video of My Talk at AEI Regarding the Draft Executive Order on Federal Architecture

by Justin Shubow Posted on October 20, 2020

On October 19, 2020, I participated in a panel hosted by the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) regarding the draft Executive Order regarding federal architecture. To adapt AEI’s summary of the event: AEI’s Gary J. Schmitt noted that Daniel Patrick Moynihan’s … Continue reading →

Posted in American Enterprise Institute, civic architecture, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, federal architecture, Guiding Principles of Federal Architecture, National Civic Art Society, uncategorized | Leave a comment