The National Civic Art Society led a successful advocacy campaign for a classical design for the forthcoming National World War I Memorial in Washington, D.C. On September 11, 2024, The Architect’s Newspaper reported, “The new National World War I Memorial . . . finally opens this week not far from the White House. Its classical design . . . was thanks to a campaign by the National Civic Art Society’s Justin Shubow.” Among other things, NCAS inserted language in the competition brief to give greater weight to designs that harmonized with the classical architecture of the nation's capital. NCAS also published influential opinion articles on the memorial competition. In addition, the Society also hosted a panel discussion at the Army and Navy Club at which the organizer of the competition spoke.

Thanks to NCAS’s efforts, the dominant feature of the WWI Memorial is a magnificent classical sculpture by Sabin Howard, who entered the competition at NCAS’s urging. Titled “A Soldier’s Journey,” the sculpture is a 58-foot-long relief (with the tallest figure standing at 7 to 8 feet), which will be the largest bronze sculpture of its kind in the world.

For a comprehensive article on the memorial, see here.

On November 15, 2019, the National Civic Art Society sponsored this talk by sculptor Sabin Howard, who presented his magnificent classical design for the forthcoming National World War I Memorial. The Memorial is to be located in Pershing Park in Washington, D.C.

Howard's design is a monumental 58-foot-long by 8-foot-high bronze sculpture titled "A Soldier's Journey." Flowing from left-to-right, the 38-figure composition allegorically tells the story of a soldier who leaves his family for the front, endures the ordeal of battle, and returns home. The ideals of heroism, family, and caring are juxtaposed with the violence, terror, and aggression of battle. The sculpture simultaneously tells a second story--namely, America's coming of age during the Great War.

Introductions by Justin Shubow, President of the National Civic Art Society, and Edwin Fountain, Vice Chair of the U.S. World War I Centennial Foundation 

Watch the video HERE.