As part of First Friday: Art Walk Dupont Circle, five artists displayed their work at the Church of Scientology National Affairs Office with a large portrait on Martin Luther King Jr. featured.
WASHINGTON, DC, January 07, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ -- 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 included five artists. The art show featured a large portrait of Martin Luther King Jr. and artists focused on the theme of the show: the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The pop-up exhibit, held at the historic Fraser Mansion, was part of the monthly First Friday: Art Walk Dupont Circle where people walk between numerous galleries and organization that are featuring art.
At the beginning of the show, Patrick S. Smith, a native Washingtonian, was awarded Artist of the year 2025 by Youth for Human Rights International, Washington, DC, for his "outstanding participation and artistic excellent at Art Walk Dupont Circle, Church of Scientology National Affairs Office."
The exhibit featured five artists, who showed portraits of famous human rights activists, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., abstracts, assemblage art, and wax on glass.
The artists -- Roslyn Cambridge, Carolyn Goodridge, Sante Johnson, Patrick Smith, and J. Thomas Wells – were on site and discussed their work and the human and civil rights themes that inspired them.
Mr. Azhar Haq, Executive Director of Youth for Human Rights International's DC chapter, emphasized the significance 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."
In addition to the artwork, free educational materials on the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights were available to attendees, courtesy of Youth for Human Rights International, whose 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 on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are also available free at www.youthforhumanrights.org. More information is available 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. Its membership is comprised of individuals, educators and groups throughout the world who are actively forwarding the knowledge and protection of human rights by and for all Mankind.
Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) is the sister organization of United for Human Rights. It is a not-for-profit organization founded in 2001 to teach young people around the world about human rights, specifically the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, so they become advocates for tolerance and peace. YHRI has now grown into a global movement of individuals, groups and national and community leaders who are spreading the message of what human rights are and ways to implement and protect them.
---
Press release service and press release distribution provided by https://www.24-7pressrelease.com
