Welcome to Pars Place! When you walk through the front doors, you feel inspired by the art, culture, and community the Iranian-American Community Center (IACC) is building, not only in their new space but around Tysons.
Founded as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in 2011, the IACC was created by a group of parents who wanted to pass along the Persian language and culture to their kids, as well as future generations to come. Additionally, they wanted a place where their kids could develop their identity and feel a sense of belonging.
“We were raising our kids and wanted them to learn the language, along with a whole array of other things that they would have been exposed to if they were growing up in Iran: our culture, our heritage, Persian literature and artwork, and elders passing along their stories,” said Fred Aryan, board member of Pars Place. “To ensure that mission was accomplished, the original board created a community center that is non-religious, non-political and a place where we can gather together to enjoy the Iranian-Persian culture.”
It was also important for the parents to have a place where their parents, many of whom had left their friends in Iran when they migrated to the United States, could go drink tea, play backgammon, and speak Farsi with other members of the community.
Pars Place has come a long way since its inception. Over the past 13 years, it has hosted over 1,200 events, in which over 12,000 people have participated, and gone from an entirely volunteer-based center to having full-time staff. Moreover, in the past couple of months, they’ve relocated to their new space in Tysons and expanded to a staff of three with the addition of their new Executive Director, Sue Nassiri.
“The passion and potential of the Pars Place community truly inspire me,” said Nassiri. “That’s what drives me. It’s incredible to see so many dedicated people, in such a short time, contributing their time, effort, creativity, and financial support.”
The growth that Pars Place has experienced has all happened at a grassroots level. As such, you can feel the dedication and commitment its community has to preserving the Iranian-Persian culture and sharing it with the broader world.
“One thing I’m proud of is that this is likely one of the few truly grassroots places among Iranian-American Community Centers—people often say that, and I don’t say it lightly,” said Aryan. “Everything from a $10 donation to a $100,000 donation. It’s been truly a culmination of many different community members being involved from moving boxes to helping with programming to cleaning up after dinner. A lot of different hands have been involved and that’s really enjoyable to see.”
On a recent tour, Sue and Fred shared the vision for the future of Pars Place and the center’s aspirations. The vision includes a safe community space for all to learn, grow, and gather. The new space has a lounge, an art gallery, library, kitchen, and an auditorium , which is great to turn into a reception area.
The current art exhibit is titled, “Geometry & Calligraphy,” and is scheduled to run through September 21st. It features the work of several contemporary artists, who create works of art that explore Iran’s rich history of using geometric patterns and calligraphy. For those who can’t make it to see the exhibit in-person, there is a virtual tour of the art exhibit here.
A significant part of Pars Place is its library. It is also a symbol of how dedicated its volunteers and community members are to its mission. After the tragic death of their son, Bijan, James and Kelly Ghaisar, donated the furniture and lighting in the library in his memory. The lights in the library never turn completely off as a way to remember that his light continues to shine.
As part of the library efforts, several volunteers have helped with cataloguing the books. A few of the titles are rare and some are believed to be one of the only copies in the world. They are hoping to continue to build their collection of Persian literature and other books that fit within their mission.
Breaking bread together is also an important part of Persian culture. With the new kitchen, Pars Place hopes to host cooking classes and community meals. In the sharing of meals and the opening of their new space, which is open every day from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., they hope to continue to create a safe gathering place for all.
Currently, IACC has a Board of directors 9 volunteers and 3 paid staff members. Even though there is now a full-time staff of three, the non-profit community center relies heavily on volunteers and the generous contributions of its community members. It is through their efforts that the IACC can continue to operate. Nassiri is also working on building a rental program, so that members of the community can rent out the space for programs and other types of community events.
Upcoming events at Pars Place include: Mahjong Game Night on Wednesday, September 18th; Razvaz Concert: Traditional Persian Music on Sunday, September 22nd ; and Pars Place’s Annual Fundraising Gala on Saturday, October 26th. For more information and their full list of events, click here.
Pars Place is open for business and located at 8150 Leesburg Pike, Suite 210, Tysons, VA. If you would like to volunteer or have a program idea that is non-political and non-religious that you think would benefit Pars Place and its community, you can stop by the center or email info@parsplace.org.
