Founded in 2002, the National Civic Art Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. that educates and empowers civic leaders in the promotion of public art and architecture worthy of our great Republic. We do this by advancing the classical tradition in architecture, urbanism, and their allied arts. Through our programs and initiatives we guide government agencies and officials; assist practitioners; and educate students and the general public in the preservation and creation of beautiful, dignified public buildings, monuments, and spaces. We are mindful of Winston Churchill’s assertion: “We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.”

George Washington and Thomas Jefferson consciously chose the classical style to physically embody the new nation's form of government and political aspirations—architecture they intended to be a model for the entire country. The Founders understood that the classical tradition, harkening back to democratic Athens and republican Rome, is time-honored and timeless. It is unparalleled in its dignity, beauty, and harmony, not to mention its legibility to the common person. The National Civic Art Society advocates for beautiful, meaningful civic design that continues and expands upon the Founders' vision.

Activities

We achieve our mission by:
 

Highlights

• Commissioned a survey of 2,000 American adults conducted by The Harris Poll of Americans’ Preferred Architecture for Federal Buildings.

• Co-sponsored a talk by National Civic Art Society Research Fellow Catesby Leigh on "The Architecture of Bureaucracy."

• Launched a campaign to reconstruct the original Pennsylvania Station in New York City.

• Hosted a lecture by sculptor Sabin Howard on “The New National World War I Memorial: Classical and Magnificent.”

• Hosted a dialogue discussion on "Dramatic Cultural Change and the Future of Architecture" with Michael G. Imber and Duo Dickinson.

• Hosted a lecture by historian Calder Loth on "Reconstructing Lost Architecture: A Commendable Tradition."

• Hosted a panel on "New Urbanism and the Human Habitat: Beauty in the Natural and Built Environment" at the Philips Collection in Washington, D.C.

• Organized an Eisenhower Memorial Counter-Competition with an award ceremony at the Rayburn House Office Building at which Susan Eisenhower, the president's granddaughter, delivered remarks.

• Host "Our Classical Heritage" series of walking tours of the nation's capital.

• Published The Gehry Towers over Eisenhower: The National Civic Art Society Report on the Eisenhower Memorial, a 150-page critique of the Memorial's competition, design, and agency approval.

• Testified to the U.S. House Subcommittee on Public Lands on "The Future of the National Mall."

• Twice testified to the U.S. House Subcommittee on Public Lands on the Eisenhower Memorial.

• Testified numerous times to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts and National Capital Planning Commission on the Eisenhower Memorial.

• Co-sponsored a panel discussion on "Monumental Fights: The Role of Memorials in Civic Life."

• Hosted a lecture series on "Art in the Republic."