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The Nicolas Ibrahim Sursock Museum is a modern and contemporary art museum in the center of Beirut first opened in 1961, with a mission to collect, preserve, and exhibit local and international art. The mansion in which the Museum is housed was the former residence of Nicolas Sursock, a Lebanese collector and philanthropist. Recognizing the need for institutional support of artists in Lebanon, Sursock left his mansion to the city of Beirut as an art museum upon his death in 1952.
The Museum opened its doors in 1961 with the Salon d'Automne, an open call exhibition showcasing new art of the time. The Salon was held on an annual basis, showcasing the work of such artists as Shafic Abboud, Etel Adnan, Michel Basbous, Saloua Raouda Choucair, Paul Guiragossian, Aref el Rayess, and Adel Saghir. Alongside the Salon d'Automne, the Museum organized diverse exhibitions showcasing art from all over the world. As such, the Museum played a key role in the development of the cultural scene in Beirut, especially in the 1960s and 1970s.
In 2008, the Museum closed for major renovation and expansion works that saw a fivefold increase in its total surface area, from 1,500 square meters to 8,500 square meters. This structural overhaul aimed at equipping the Museum with the facilities that would transform it into a cutting-edge 21st-century cultural institution. The project was initiated in 2000 by the President of the Museum's Committee at the time, Ghassan Tueni, who, along with the Committee, commissioned the architects Jean-Michel Wilmotte and Jacques Aboukhaled to undertake the expansion project. The works were completed in 2014 under the mandate of the current moutawalli, the President of Beirut's Municipality Dr. Bilal Hamad, and Dr. Tarek Mitri, the Chair of the Museum's General Committee.
The Museum reopened on October 8, 2015 with a new team and with plans to host seven exhibitions a year, as well as a dynamic public program for all ages. Through its collection, archives, exhibitions, and public programs, the Museum aims to produce knowledge on art practices in the region, support local art production, provide a platform for encounter and experimentation with art and ideas, and inform and challenge diverse audiences in new and unexpected ways.
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