Rothko Chapel, Ali Center advance compassionate leadership
03.27.26
Rothko Chapel and Muhammad Ali Center Sign Landmark MOU to Advance Compassionate Leadership Nationwide
HOUSTON, TX / LOUISVILLE, KY (March 27, 2026) – The Rothko Chapel, located in Houston, Texas, and the Muhammad Ali Center, located in Louisville, Kentucky, signed a memorandum of understanding to further advance humanitarian leadership, civic trust and intergenerational education focused on compassion in a polarized, fractured world.
The Ali Center and the Rothko Chapel will partner to advance compassion as an organizing principle for impact, drawing on the great legacies of Muhammad Ali and Mark Rothko. Through this partnership, the two organizations will host a series of dialogues and collaborative programming across the United States, working with partners and like-minded organizations to advance moral leadership on some of the most vital issues facing our nation today.
“This partnership with the Rothko Chapel is an honor and a privilege. Together, we will build on Muhammad’s legacy – bringing people together and advancing compassion at a moment the world needs it most,” said Muhammad Ali Center Co-Founder, President & CEO, Lonnie Ali.
“Our missions are aligned in providing meaningful convening space, bringing people together in contemplation and moral action, alongside the legacies of historic civil rights icons.” said Rothko Chapel President, Imam Abdullah Antepli.
Forthcoming public engagements will be announced in line with the Rothko Chapel and Ali Center’s next programmatic seasons.
About the Rothko Chapel
The Rothko Chapel serves as a reflective, sacred space and presents programming that promotes spirituality, creativity, dialogue and action leading to more equitable, empowered and engaged communities in Houston and beyond. Founded by Dominique and John de Menil, the Chapel was dedicated in 1971 as an interfaith, nonsectarian sanctuary, and invites visitors from around the world to experience the power and sanctity of Mark Rothko’s monumental paintings alongside Barnett Newman’s Broken Obelisk sculpture dedicated to the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Chapel is open for daily visitation in Houston, Texas, Tuesday through Sunday, 10am-6pm. For more information, please visit https://rothkochapel.org.
About the Muhammad Ali Center
The Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Kentucky, is a multicultural museum and educational center dedicated to the life, boxing career, and humanitarian legacy of Muhammad Ali. Founded in 2005 by Muhammad Ali and Lonnie Ali, it features interactive exhibits based on Ali’s six Core Principles—Confidence, Conviction, Dedication, Giving, Respect, and Spirituality—to inspire personal growth and social change. For more information, please visit https://alicenter.org/.
Media Contact:
Rothko Chapel
[email protected]
713.660.1403
Dustin Vogt
Muhammad Ali Center
[email protected]
502.992.5330