-
April 7, 2025Architecture for Justice Committee Receives: AIANY Citation for Public Outreach
![Audience view at the Justice Film Series Event Rights and Reactions]()
Photo: AIANY![Audience view at the Justice Film Series Event Rights and Reactions]()
![Audience view at the Justice Film Series Event Rights and Reactions]()
![Audience view at the Justice Film Series Event Rights and Reactions]()
![Audience view at the Justice Film Series Event Rights and Reactions]()
![Audience view at the Justice Film Series Event Rights and Reactions]()
![Audience view at the Justice Film Series Event Rights and Reactions]()
Photo: AIANYAt the AIANY 2025 Board Inaugural, the chapter recognized the Reimagining Justice Film Festival organized by the AIANY Architecture for Justice Committee, for bringing into discourse how architects can be more impactful advocates for a better world.
The festival offered attendees the opportunity to encounter an exchange of ideas through investigating the history and lived experiences of people relating to justice reform, environmental justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Film screenings occurred every Thursday in May 2024.
The carefully curated festival featured documentary film screenings and panel discussions with experts, formerly incarcerated individuals, documentarians, artists, film makers, and activists, among others. The program achieved its goal of elevating architects and architecture and weaving together the profession’s difficult problems and potential solutions. Special thanks were offered to the current Co-Chairs Motoko Shoboji, AIA, and Andre Voss, AIA.
The following films were screened during the festival, among others:
- Mothers of Bedford (2010) by Jennifer McShane
- 16 Bars (2018) by Sam Bathrick and Adam Barton
- Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (2020) by Jim Lebrecht and Nicole Newnham
- Gyo Obata (2017) by University of Washington in St. Louis
- Rising Above the Tide: Redefining Resilience in Hau’ula by Jake Price
- Unguarded (2022) by Simonetta d’Italia Wiener
- Why Art is a Tool for Hope – TED Talk (2022) by JR
- Street Music – Laws That Prohibit by JD Marlow
- Rights and Reactions: Lesbian and Gay Rights on Trial (1988) by Phil Zwickler and Jane Lippman
The Committee plans to reprise the Festival in 2025 with new films. Firms who might wish to host a screening or sponsors who can support the costs associated with the events may contact Salmata Kaba, Program Committee Manager, skaba@aiany.org for more information.
Architecture for Justice
Among the action items outlined in AIA New York's September 2020 position statement on the Criminal Justice System was the re-envisioning of the AIANY Architecture for Justice Committee. The newly launched committee will develop programming and advocacy to help mitigate the intrinsic racism within the American criminal justice system, with a particular focus on exploring architecture’s role in oppression. We anticipate that the committee’s efforts will explore how architecture and architects can affect broader social justice goals.
