The January art exhibit co-hosted by the Church of Scientology National Affairs Office, United for Human Rights, Youth for Human Rights International's Washington, DC chapter, and Art Impact International awarded native Washingtonian Patrick S. Smith the Artist of the Year 2025 award. The announcement came during the First Friday: Art Walk Dupont Circle event held at the historic Fraser Mansion. The award recognized Smith's outstanding participation and artistic excellence at Art Walk Dupont Circle events hosted at the Church of Scientology National Affairs Office.
The exhibit featured five artists—Roslyn Cambridge, Carolyn Goodridge, Sante Johnson, Patrick Smith, and J. Thomas Wells—who displayed works including a large portrait of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., abstracts, assemblage art, and wax on glass. Each artist focused on themes related to the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Attendees had the opportunity to discuss the human and civil rights themes that inspired the artwork directly with the artists.
Mr. Azhar Haq, Executive Director of Youth for Human Rights International's DC chapter, emphasized the importance of art in human rights advocacy, stating, "Art speaks where words can't fully communicate the same concepts. Art brings people of all different beliefs and cultures together to appreciate something beautiful." The event also provided free educational materials on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, courtesy of Youth for Human Rights International, whose mission is to disseminate and adopt these rights at every level of society.
These materials are available at www.youthforhumanrights.org. More information about the local chapter can be found at https://www.facebook.com/YHRDC. Art Walk Dupont is a recurring cultural experience that brings free art exhibits to galleries, embassies, and cultural centers throughout the historic Dupont Circle neighborhood.
United for Human Rights (UHR) is an international, not-for-profit organization dedicated to implementing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at local, regional, national and international levels. Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) is its sister organization, founded in 2001 to teach young people around the world about human rights, so they become advocates for tolerance and peace.
