Patrick S. Smith, a native Washingtonian, was awarded Artist of the Year 2025 by Youth for Human Rights International, Washington, DC, during the January Art Walk Dupont Circle event. The award recognized his "outstanding participation and artistic excellence at Art Walk Dupont Circle, Church of Scientology National Affairs Office." The announcement was made at a pop-up exhibit held at the historic Fraser Mansion, co-hosted by the Church of Scientology National Affairs Office, United for Human Rights, Youth for Human Rights International's DC chapter, and Art Impact International.
The exhibit featured five artists—Roslyn Cambridge, Carolyn Goodridge, Sante Johnson, Patrick Smith, and J. Thomas Wells—who displayed works including portraits of famous human rights activists like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., abstracts, assemblage art, and wax on glass. The artists were on site to discuss their work and the human and civil rights themes that inspired them. A large portrait of Martin Luther King Jr. was a centerpiece of the show, which focused on the theme of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Mr. Azhar Haq, Executive Director of Youth for Human Rights International's DC chapter, emphasized the significance of art in human rights advocacy. "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," Haq said. The event was part of the monthly First Friday: Art Walk Dupont Circle, a recurring cultural experience that brings free art exhibits to galleries, embassies, and cultural centers throughout the historic Dupont Circle neighborhood.
Free educational materials on the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights were available to attendees, courtesy of Youth for Human Rights International. The organization's mission is to provide human rights educational resources and activities that inform, assist, and unite individuals, educators, organizations, and governmental bodies in the dissemination and adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at every level of society. These materials are also available free at www.youthforhumanrights.org. More information is available at https://www.facebook.com/YHRDC.
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 the sister organization of United for Human Rights, founded in 2001 to teach young people around the world about human rights so they become advocates for tolerance and peace. YHRI has grown into a global movement of individuals, groups, and national and community leaders spreading the message of human rights and ways to implement and protect them.
