Donald Lassere, President/CEO
Donald Lassere, Senior Vice President of Programs at Scholarship America, was named the new and third President and CEO of the Muhammad Ali Center.
IndiVisble
The temporary exhibit, IndiVisble: African-Native American Live in the Americas, which opened on Muhammad Ali’s 70th birthday, focused on the seldom-viewed history and complex lives of people in duel African American and Native American ancestries. The Ali Center was the only Midwestern institution that hosted this new Smithsonian Travelling Exhibit.
Muhammad Ali’s 70th Birthday Event
On Saturday evening, January 14, 2012, Muhammad celebrated seven decades of accomplishments with special guests and entertainers in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. This private event, hosted at the Muhammad Ali Center, included a guest list of friends, family, supporters, celebrities, and other great people who have made a true
Youth Rights Conference
Sponsored by The American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky and the Muhammad Ali Center, the annual Youth Rights Conference is a free, youth-driven-and-led event for local high school students. The theme for this year’s event was “Race to Equality” in which the Ali Center’s MACCS (Muhammad Ali Center Council of
Brutal Aesthetic Exhibit
Selected works of John Ranard’s The Brutal Aesthetic were on exhibit at the Muhammad Ali Center from September to November 2011. The exhibit featured 27 black-and-white photos, many of which were published in On Boxing by Joyce Carol Oates in 1986. Several of these images were taken in Louisville and
Brown-Forman Pavilion
The Brown-Forman Pavilion, which opened in 2011, is an outdoor event space with lovely landscaping and stunning views of the Ohio River. The Pavilion was underwritten by Brown-Forman and was first used by none other than Mr. and Mrs. Ali.
Lo.CAL Streets Temporary Exhibit
Together, curator Daniel Pfalzfraf and the Muhammad Ali Center presented Lo.CAL Streets, a Louisville Contemporary Art Lounge exhibition. The exhibit highlighted works centered on the urban environment and reflected the spirit of the Ali Center’s educational platforms, including respect, diversity, and personal discovery to empowerment and conflict resolution.
Once Upon a Holiday Exhibit
Once Upon a Holiday ran seasonally from 2011 to 2014. It showcased holidays around the world through life-size book pages and taught visitors about how various cultures celebrate the holiday season.
Birth of Generation Ali
Generation Ali began as an idea to create a global movement that would empower young people to find their voice and become leaders in social justice issues. This movement would draw its inspiration from “The Greatest” himself, Muhammad Ali, and his six guiding principles: Confidence, Conviction, Dedication, Respect, Giving, and
Last Words of Louis XVI Temporary Exhibit
Cuban artist Carlos Gamez de Francisco, the Ali Center’s 2010 Artist in Residence, created a series of paintings for a major exhibit that showcased a thematic body of work produced during his residency. The Last Words of Louis XVI consisted of over 30 paintings that included both watercolor and ink,