Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer
American Constitution Society
September 29, 2009
Members of the American Constitution Society and invited guests, welcome to the Ohio Judicial Center.
We have the rare occasion this evening of having all the Justices in attendance, so allow me to take a moment to introduce my colleagues.
I know many of you enter this building on a regular basis for work matters, filing cases, conducting research or serving on any number of Supreme Court committees and commissions.
The pace of the work day seldom allows any of us to take in the richness and beauty of this magnificent facility….with its emphasis on art that inspires us to take up the call of civic responsibility. That is why we are honored to host this event this evening…to give you the opportunity to view the paintings and murals and sculptures that are reflective of the people of Ohio and the history of our state.
As you tour the building and view the artwork I wish to draw your attention to the art that has been added to the building since the Supreme Court moved here five years ago. Forty-one pieces of contemporary art have been added and we now have 47 portraits of former justices on display throughout the building.
(Judge Duncan, if you find a suitable place for your portrait, please let us know.)
I want to encourage you to include a stop in the Education Center in room 101, where portraits of the Tuskegee Airmen are displayed. Those paintings were donated by the artist Robert Tanner. At the other of the hallway, in room 108, are historical maps of Ohio and the Northwest Territory donated by attorney Sheldon Taft.
As you take in the beauty of this building, the detailed wood carving, the elegant metal work, the murals and glass sculptures, take a moment to reflect on the words of an art observer who once said: “Art is much less important than life, but what a poor life without it.”
I think all of you here this evening agree that our lives have been made much better by art. We have been blessed, he have been inspired by art.
Art—public art—is an expression of culture and public mission.
It says who we are, where we have been and where we are going as a society.
Remember too that the lawyer and the artist share a great many interests.
Lawyers, as artists, challenge the conventional view…while remaining true to the underlying values and principles of their craft.
The artist and the lawyer share an eye for detail, the well-placed brush stroke is as important to the craft of the artist…. as is the well-written brief by a lawyer.
And the great lawyers share with the great artists a vision for the big picture, the entirety of society.
The artist and the lawyer share a concern for life in its many forms; its successes and its failures.
As lawyers, we scrape away the stone, we shape the rock.
As lawyers, we use our sculptor’s eye to reveal the beauty, the proportion in the rule of law.
As lawyers, we use our fine brushes, our colorful pallets to bring symmetry and order.
As lawyers, we are fortunate that this is our life’s work.
We are fortunate that this is now the home of the Ohio Judicial Center.