Institute of Classical Architecture & Art
Advancing the practice and appreciation of the classical tradition
Photo courtesy D.T. Ward 2016
Imagine, if you will, the United States without a strong reverence to the past. Envision for a moment, your own life without any recognition of, or interest in, your ancestors. What meaning would your life hold, if you knew your descendants would ignore your efforts and your sacrifices for their benefit? Is the past….just the past…and who cares? Did the truly important events of this world begin only recently with the invention of the internet and reality TV shows?
Sounds ridiculous to ignore the events of history, but it’s a never ending & generational battle. The current age is perhaps the least interested in its history. My good friend John Adams uses the descriptive term: “chronological narcissism” meaning – I’m the latest and the greatest! Many US citizens did not have to risk their very lives fighting in a war – I’m in my 50’s and I didn’t either. Most of us experienced our life’s toughest battles just passing our college classes…not exactly life threatening! And so we tend to believe that any possible importance of history fades with each new technological invention, or each advancement of social networking. Was anything on earth accurate or important before the advent of the computer or a smart phone? Answer – absolutely YES!
The official logo of http://www.theamericanhistoryguild.com
In my role as architectural historian and preservationist for The American History Guild – we believe the knowledge of history is the key to a successful future. We uphold and retell the lessons and stories of our predecessors…in fact, our motto is “Where the Past is Always Present“. The venerable Winston Churchill once said that, “We shape our Buildings; thereafter they shape us.” This is most certainly true. Architecture like the written word, speaks to the past, the present and the yet unborn. As the hands of the bricklayer and carpenter fall lifeless, the buildings they built remind us that they, and the ones they loved, ever lived. Their buildings transcend a mere need of shelter, they call out to us, they voice the hope and longing of those who tread the ground before us. They speak to us – if only we’ll listen.
Similarly, the members of the (ICAA)Institute of Classical Architecture & Art (www.classicist.org) believe the achievements of the past must be recognized and celebrated….and even kept alive amid new projects in the classical traditions of architecture, urbanism and their allied arts. It does so though education, publication, and advocacy. The Institute offers a wide array of programs that include continuing education classes; travel programs; lectures; salons; and conferences. The organization is a valued educational resource for students of art, planning, and architecture, design professionals, and the general public, assisted today by the growing network of regional and local chapters. The Southeast Chapter of the ICAA currently includes several states and is based in Atlanta, Georgia. But as the national organization grows, additional local chapters are encouraged. Non-architect members and partners are encouraged to join the ICAA to help bring the traditional design skills sustained and disseminated by the Institute to bear in diverse communities across America.
Official logo of ICAA Southeast http://classicist-se.org/
The ICAA is the leading national nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the practice and appreciation of the classical tradition in architecture and the allied arts. ICAA fulfills its mission through four program areas: education, publications, awards, and advocacy.
Education: ICAA provides a forum and comprehensive educational resource for students, design and building professionals, and the general public, both in the United States and in Europe. Continuing education courses; study and drawing tours; seminars; intensive winter and summer programs for professionals; and academic partnerships extending a unique curriculum. Includes lectures, exhibits, walking and travel tours, and conferences on classical architecture and the allied arts.
Publications: CAA publishes an annual journal, The Classicist, and new and reprinted books on classical design through “The Classical America Series in Art and Architecture”. The Forum, a newsletter for members, is published twice per a year, complemented by a lively array of email updates from across the country throughout the year and an online blog at blog.classicist.org.
Awards: Through the annual national Arthur Ross Awards ceremony and multiple local chapter awards, ICAA recognizes excellence by honoring the achievements and contributions of architects, painters, sculptors, artisans, landscape designers, patrons, and others in preserving and advancing the classical tradition. The Rieger-Graham Prize and the Alma Schapiro Prize provide opportunities for designers, architects and fine artists to study abroad as affiliated fellows of the American Academy in Rome.
Advocacy: ICAA maintains a strong voice in the public domain, championing the continuation of the classical tradition as a vital cultural resource.
https://twitter.com/classicist
https://www.facebook.com/classicist.org/
http://www.classicist.org/membership-and-chapters/benefits-and-categories/
D. Tracy Ward, Architect
Originally prepared 2013 – Reedited & Uploaded January 2017 – DTW Architecture Blog #0001
Our Original Posts, including images when applicable, are copyrighted © 1993-2017 by D. Tracy Ward and Benchmark Design, PC. God bless America! Treasure Liberty always and pass it on! President Herbert Hoover, October 18, 1931: “This great complex, which we call American life, is builded and can alone survive upon the translation into individual action of that fundamental philosophy announced by the Savior nineteen centuries ago…” (read Mark 12:30-31)
