The Ismaili Center
Events at this venue
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Festival of Faiths Houston
The Ismaili Center 2323 Allen Pkwy, Houston, TXIsmaili Center, Houston and the Ismaili Council invite you to join the inaugural Festival of Faiths Houston on Sunday, October 4th 2026. Festival of Faiths brings together people from across Houston's diverse faith communities to build understanding, forge meaningful connections, and celebrate the values we share. Through inspiring music, captivating dance, visual arts, storytelling, thought-provoking panels, and engaging presentations, the festival creates space for people of different faiths and backgrounds to learn from one another, celebrate our diversity, and strengthen the bonds that connect us as a community. This event is open to all and free to attend, but we encourage registration! Programming partners: IM Houston Compassionate Houston Children’s Museum of Houston Rothko Chapel
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In Conversation: Rana Begum and Frauke V. Josenhans
The Ismaili Center 2323 Allen Pkwy, Houston, TXJoin us on October 2 at 6:00 p.m. for a conversation between Rana Begum and Frauke V. Josenhans centered on Begum’s artistic practice and No. 1573 Reflectors, a new site-specific installation commissioned by Ismaili Center for its permanent art collection and now on view in the East Atrium. Based in London, Begum distills spatial and visual experiences into ordered forms that blur the boundaries between sculpture, painting, and architecture. Drawing from the urban landscape and the geometric patterns of traditional Islamic art and architecture, her works absorb and reflect light in varying densities, creating experiences for the viewer that are both temporal and sensorial. Frauke V. Josenhans, deputy director and chief curator at the Dora Maar Cultural Center, has worked closely with Begum, having curated her large-scale outdoor commissions No. 1187 Mesh and No. 1193 Mesh at the Moody Center for the Arts at Rice University. Together, Begum and Josenhans will situate No. 1573 Reflectors within the broader arc of Begum’s practice, considering its relationship to Ismaili Center’s architectural language and Houston’s cultural landscape. Ismaili Center hosts leaders, speakers, performers, and artists who provide their views, thoughts, and expertise on events in news, society, and culture. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the Ismaili Center's views.
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Texas Contemporary
The Ismaili Center 2323 Allen Pkwy, Houston, TX +1 moreJoin us at the Ismaili Center, Houston on Sunday, September 27th at 5:00 p.m. for a panel discussion. In collaboration with the Rothko Chapel, Paper City Magazine, and Opera Gallery, this event welcomes artists from Texas Contemporary for an open conversation exploring their individual practices, perspectives, and experiences working within the cultural landscape of Texas. Moderated by Abdullah Antepli and Catherine D. Anspon, the discussion will center the artists and their work, creating space for an open and thoughtful exchange across practices, ideas, and lived experiences. Bringing together artists Preston Douglas Boyer, Eric DePan, Bradley Kerl, Reynier Leyva Novo, Virginia L. Montgomery, and Lovie Olivia, the program offers an opportunity for dialogue around contemporary art and the many perspectives shaping Texas today. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. for networking and light bites, and the panel will begin promptly at 5:00 p.m.
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Centered Together
The Ismaili Center 2323 Allen Pkwy, Houston, TXJoin us for an instructor-led yoga session at the Ismaili Center, Houston on the North Eivan. Whether you're new to yoga or a seasoned practitioner, this is a great opportunity to move, unwind, and connect with others in the community. After the session, stay and socialize with fellow participants while enjoying coffee and specialty beverages. This event is free to attend, but registration is required. Participants must be 16 years of age or older. Please bring your own yoga mat, and we recommend bringing a water bottle to stay hydrated throughout the session.
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Centered Together
The Ismaili Center 2323 Allen Pkwy, Houston, TXJoin us for an instructor-led yoga session at the Ismaili Center, Houston on the North Eivan. Whether you're new to yoga or a seasoned practitioner, this is a great opportunity to move, unwind, and connect with others in the community. After the session, stay and socialize with fellow participants while enjoying coffee and specialty beverages. This event is free to attend, but registration is required. Participants must be 16 years of age or older. Please bring your own yoga mat, and we recommend bringing a water bottle to stay hydrated throughout the session.
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Opening Reception: Gabriel Martinez | Article
The Ismaili Center 2323 Allen Pkwy, Houston, TXIsmaili Center Houston is pleased to announce Article, a solo exhibition by Gabriel Martinez, opening August 15, 2026. The exhibition takes its name from a monumental hand-sewn textile work that anchors Martinez’s ongoing engagement with material circulation, labor, and shifting conditions of value. The artworks in the exhibition are constructed from garments found on the street during the artist’s movements across Houston and situate the artist as one body among many involved in the manipulation of the material. They record the traces of global capital, evoking those who dyed and printed the fabric, those who assembled the garments, the people who wore and lost them, as well as the artist who places them back into circulation as luxury objects. The pieces are an invitation for the viewer to consider not only their formal composition and the laborious nature of their production, but also the disjunctive economies that enable such shifts in value. The centerpiece of the exhibition is a thirty-foot wall-sized composition, sewn entirely by hand without assistants, collaborators, or a sewing machine. The artwork highlights the labor involved in the garment industry and the environmental toll of an unsustainable industry drawing a correlation between the creation of the quilt and the labor histories embedded in the garments themselves. Presented within the Ismaili Center’s architectural and cultural context, the exhibition reflects an ongoing interest in how contemporary artistic practices engage place, material knowledge, and lived experience. The found pieces of fabric used in Martinez’s quilts are repurposed and adapted to new meanings of care for the environment and the body. Martinez’s work, held within the Center’s permanent art collection, extends its commitment to fostering dialogue with Houston’s artistic community through sustained exchange and public engagement. Art inspired by the craft tradition, such as Martinez’s hand-sewn quilts, holds particular significance within the framework advanced by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, which emphasizes the preservation of traditional knowledge systems and understands cultural production as a vital means of strengthening social life and shaping shared environments. Within this framework, Martinez’s practice resonates with broader questions of how materials carry memory, how craft-based knowledge persists within contemporary systems of circulation, and how value is continuously produced and transformed. In this way, Article offers a sustained attention to the materials that move across the globe and define everyday life. Please join us for an opening reception on August 15, 2026 from 5:00pm - 8:00pm.
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ABC13 Loves Teachers School Supply Drive
The Ismaili Center 2323 Allen Pkwy, Houston, TXJoin us for the ABC13 Loves Teachers School Supplies Drive on Friday, July 31, 2026, from 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM. The drive benefits Houston Food Bank School Programs. Most needed items include crayons, highlighters, markers, pencils, folders, pens, composition books, spiral notebooks, Post-It notes, filler paper, pencil cases, Lysol wipes, glue bottles, hand sanitizer, glue sticks, Kleenex, paper towels, and scissors.
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Centered Together
The Ismaili Center 2323 Allen Pkwy, Houston, TXJoin us for an instructor-led yoga session at the Ismaili Center, Houston on the North Eivan. Whether you're new to yoga or a seasoned practitioner, this is a great opportunity to move, unwind, and connect with others in the community. After the session, stay and socialize with fellow participants while enjoying coffee and specialty beverages. This event is free to attend, but registration is required. Participants must be 16 years of age or older. Please bring your own yoga mat, and we recommend bringing a water bottle to stay hydrated throughout the session.
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Cultural Heritage: Past, Present & Future
The Ismaili Center 2323 Allen Pkwy, Houston, TXRenowned Pakistani creative visionary Yousuf Bashir Qureshi (YBQ) and Houston-based visual artist Fahim Somani come together for an evening exploring the intersections of art, identity, and storytelling. Through conversation, reflection, and an evolving creative dialogue, audiences will gain insight into their artistic journeys before the program culminates in a live collaborative performance where spoken narrative and visual expression unfold together in real time. Presented as part of the Ismaili Center's commitment to fostering dialogue through the arts, this program offers an intimate, community-centered experience designed to make cultural exchange accessible to a broad audience. Note: Registration opens at 6 PM. The program begins at 6:30 PM and runs 90 minutes, ending at 8 PM.
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FIFA Watch Party: Brazil vs. Norway
The Ismaili Center 2323 Allen Pkwy, Houston, TXJoin us for an exciting Watch Party as Brazil takes on Norway! The afternoon kicks off with a Pop-Up Café at 1:00pm, featuring a curated menu of local and international foods brought to you by Jackson & Company, Houston's premier hospitality and culinary group. Grab a bite, settle in, and get ready to cheer on your team as the match begins at 3:00pm. Whether you're rooting for Brazil or Norway, this is the perfect opportunity to come together with community and friends for great food, good company, and an afternoon of soccer excitement. Bring your energy and your appetite, there's something for everyone at this event! Event Details Pop-Up Café: starting at 1:00 PM Watch Party (Brazil vs. Norway): 3:00 PM
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Stars, Stripes & Smiles
The Ismaili Center 2323 Allen Pkwy, Houston, TXLooking for a fun way to beat the Houston heat while celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary? Head to the Ismaili Center for an exciting indoor family event packed with activities everyone can enjoy! Bring the kids for arts and crafts, bubbles, summer treats, interactive fun, and plenty of opportunities to play, create, and make memories together. Families will also enjoy a special live performance by Andy Roo, whose energetic music and entertainment are sure to have children singing, dancing, and smiling. Whether you're looking for a family outing, a chance to connect with your community, or simply a cool indoor escape from the summer temperatures, this free event has something for all ages. It's a wonderful opportunity to celebrate this historic milestone in a welcoming and festive atmosphere. Admission is free, but registration is required. Visit ismailicenter.org to learn more and reserve your spot!
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Centered Together
The Ismaili Center 2323 Allen Pkwy, Houston, TXJoin us for an instructor-led yoga session at the Ismaili Center, Houston on the North Eivan. Whether you're new to yoga or a seasoned practitioner, this is a great opportunity to move, unwind, and connect with others in the community. After the session, stay and socialize with fellow participants while enjoying coffee and specialty beverages available for purchase from Kopi Cowboy Coffee. This event is free to attend, but registration is required. Participants must be 16 years of age or older. Please bring your own yoga mat, and we recommend bringing a water bottle to stay hydrated throughout the session.
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