Decentralized Public Engagement
Innovative Outreach & Exhibition Formats
Our Outreach programs and exhibitions
embody BeMA's commitment to accessibility
and inclusivity, fostering a diverse audience
through decentralized visibility and free
access.
Since 2010, our initiatives have
inspired knowledge-sharing, civic pride,
and unity, reaching audiences locally and
internationally, from Tripoli to Washington, DC.
In 2023, we introduced traveling exhibition
boxes, allowing us to easily bring our
collection to various Lebanese villages.
Artists and artisans are central to our
outreach, with our residency programs
broadening their perspectives since 2016.
BeMA commissions new works, ensuring their
lasting public presence, while also supporting
impactful projects like those at the Venice
Biennale (2015 & 2017).
BeMA embraces technology, launching a
digitization campaign in 2022 to offer global
access to our collection. As an academic
museum, we've provided scholarships
and research grants over the last decade,
empowering emerging talent and uncovering
Lebanese art history.
Publishing the National Heritage
Research
Very few academic studies around Lebanese Art history exist.
RESEARCH & DIGITIZATION
Lebanese art, artworks and artists need to be accessed, studied, documented and positioned in a historical context.
The physical structure of the library housing the archives, books, manuscripts, and periodicals, will foster an indispensable research and digitization program of our National Treasure.
There is need for research and data creation. Topics will stem from the collection itself through the conservation procedures all the way to the primary sources linked to it.
Through institutional collaborations, BeMA will centralize this data virtually to make it accessible to the public and researchers
Timeline
2021: Launch of Research Department
2022: BeMA collaborates with art historians and historians on 30 Lebanese artists and 60 artworks setting a standard of reference for Lebanese art historical data
Innovative design and technical development of a public online database and CMS
Results: Launch of BeMA's online database, a national resource, accessible to academics and the public.
Online essays published on research from the Conservation and Research department
Targets 2023-2028:
- To research the entire collection of 2500 artworks and 470 artists
- Become a reference for research on Lebanese Art and Artists, a shared cultural heritage
- Establish partnerships with research institutions
Documenting National Heritage
Archives & Digitization
Archives and Primary sources will be preserved and amassed to offer a depository of information for researchers and cultural experts.
Timeline
Guidelines and policies create according to The American Institute for Conservation (AIC) standards
2022: Creation of an innovative mobile digitization kit to enable on-site digitization
Acquisition of 80% of archiving & digitization equipment
Results: Identified and outsource endangered archives
Collaboration with archive owners
500 artworks are digitized to the highest standards
Targets 2023 – 2028:
- Digitize the entire collection of 2500 artworks
- Purchase specific-use equipment
- Digitize endangered archives
- Become an archives depository on Lebanese Art and Artists, a shared cultural heritage
- Transfer know-how
Digitizing private collections & archives
Our in-house imaging lab boasts state-of-the-art equipment designed to digitize paintings, various paper-based materials, photographs and sculptures.
If you have a collection that you wish to preserve digitally according to international museum standards and you would like to benefit from our digitization facilities, please fill out and submit this form
All proceeds directly support our digitization department.
Clay, Ceramics & Geological Mission in Lebanon
الطين والخزف والبعثة الجيولوجية في لبنان
The word “Fakhaar” originates from the Arabic word “Fakhr” (فخر)—meaning pride or honor. And indeed, there is so much to be proud of when it comes to Lebanon’s land and its organic richness. The soil itself, from which the clay is extracted, tells a story—a history of handmade pottery shaped by the hands of master artisans still harvesting clay from local hillsides.
To preserve and revive this tradition, the Beirut Museum of Art (BeMA) embarked on a journey to study wild Lebanese clay in collaboration with the International Academy of Ceramics and the Dorothy Salhab Kazemi Museum. Lead researcher Haloren Mellendorf explored Lebanon’s rural mountains, mapping local clay beds, archiving centuries-old techniques, and experimenting to create prototype artworks.
This project isn’t just about art—it’s about reconnecting with our land, empowering communities, and honoring ancient practices while embracing innovation and sustainability.
Research is ongoing, and while the project has uncovered remarkable possibilities, it also faces limitations. Yet, this initiative persists, combining tradition with documentation and innovation to shape a sustainable future for ceramics in Lebanon.
Project partners:
The International Academy of Ceramics
Prof. Samar Mogharbel
Charles Müller
يعود أصل كلمة 'فخار' إلى كلمة 'فخر'، وفي الواقع، هناك الكثير مما يبعث على الفخر بأرض لبنان وثروته الطبيعية. تروي التربة، التي يستخرج منها الطين، قصة - تاريخ الفخار اليدوي الذي تشكّله أيادي الحرفيين الذين ما زالوا يستخرجون الطين من التلال المحلية
للحفاظ على هذا التقليد وإحيائه، شرع متحف بيروت للفن – بِما (BeMA) في دراسة الطين اللبناني المتواجد في الطبيعة، بالتعاون مع الجمعية الدولية للخزف ومتحف الفنانة دوروثي سلهب الكاظمي. قام الباحث الرئيسي هالورين ميليندورف باستكشاف الجبال الريفية في لبنان ورسم خرائط للطبقات الطينية المحلية، مؤرشفاً تقنيات متوارثة عبر القرون، ومجرباً لإنشاء أعمال فنية نموذجية
لا يقتصر هذا المشروع على الفن فحسب، بل يتعلق بإعادة الاتصال بأرضنا، وتمكين المجتمعات، وتكريم الممارسات القديمة، مع تبني الابتكار والاستدامة
يستمر البحث، ورغم أن المشروع قد أظهر إمكانيات استثنائية، إلا أنه يواجه أيضًا بعض القيود. ومع ذلك، تواصل المبادرة تقدمها، حيث تجمع بين التقاليد والتوثيق والابتكار لتشكيل مستقبل مستدام للخزف في لبنان
:شركاء المشروع
الأكاديمية الدولية للخزف
أ.د سمر مغربل
تشارلز مولر
