What Beirut Art Center does

Beirut Art Center (BAC) is a non-profit association and contemporary art space based in the Jisr el Wati neighborhood of Beirut, Lebanon, founded as a project in 2005 by Sandra Dagher and Lamia Joreige alongside Rabih Mroué, Bassam Kawahji, and Maria Ousseimi, and opened as a public venue in 2009. The center operates a multi-program platform that includes up to six exhibitions annually, educational workshops for children (ages 8–15), youth, and adults (16+), performance and film programming, BAC artistic commissions, artist residencies, a community-run rooftop garden, a bookshop/library, and online Micro-Commissions. Across its history it has documented 113 exhibitions, 85 education programs, and 224 performance and film events. There is no proprietary technology stack; the organization's outputs are physical programming, exhibitions, and community-based cultural exchange rather than software products.

The organization's revenue model is diversified and typical of a non-profit cultural institution: donations and fundraising through tiered donor circles (Benefactors, Patrons, Supporters, Friends, Members), ticket sales with tiered pricing (student free, $10 regular, $20 support) for select programs such as the Cine-Concert series, space rental for private events, and bookshop/library sales. The center distributes programming through a single physical venue and reaches audiences via its website, newsletter, social media, and earned media coverage. Its customer base is broadly horizontal across the general public, local/regional/international artists (including commissioned and residency participants), and youth/families seeking arts education. Major international partners include the British Council (Curatorial Labs, 2026; Port Cities, 2025), Culture Resource (Al-Mawred Al-Thaqafy), Saradar Collection, Dalloul Art Foundation, AFAC, and Liverpool Arab Arts Festival, supporting commissions and traveling exhibitions. The organization is governed by a 10-person board, led by Director Ibrahim Nehme (since 2024), with a small operational team of approximately 6–10 staff.

Name

Beirut Art Center

Legal name

Beirut Art Center

Website

https://beirutartcenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contemporary Art Center

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums (712110), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Centers & Multidisciplinary Arts Institutions (THAJADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH), Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG), Art, Street Art & Creative Scene Tours (THAJAAAE)

Keywords

• Contemporary art exhibitions
• Arts education programs
• Artist residencies
• Cultural programming
• Community arts space

Headquarters

HQ city

Beirut

HQ country

Lebanon

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The center relies heavily on private donors, foundations, and fundraising activities. Multiple donor circles are maintained including Benefactors, Patrons, Supporters, Friends, and Members circles with various contribution levels.
2. Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from event admissions, with tiered pricing for students (free), regular attendees ($10), and supporters ($20) for select programs like the Cine-Concert series.
3. Space Rental: The center offers space hire for events, as indicated by contact information for space rental inquiries ([email protected]).
4. Bookshop and Library: Sales from the bookshop and library program, including book launches and publications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Beirut Art Center is a non-profit contemporary art space in Beirut that organizes and presents exhibitions (up to six annually), education workshops for families and adults, performance and film programming, artistic commissions, and artist residencies. Programs serve local, regional, and international artists and reach general public audiences through free exhibition admission, ticketed performances, bookshop sales, and community initiatives such as the Rooftop Garden.

Product overview

Beirut Art Center is a nonprofit association and space dedicated to contemporary art in Beirut, operating as a platform for emerging and established artists. The center offers a multi-faceted program consisting of exhibitions (up to six annually), educational workshops for families, youth, and adults, performance and film programming including concerts and screenings, BAC commissions supporting artists through various commissions (art, sound, Nano-neon, Central Hall), artist residencies (for artists, graphic designers, and rooftop practitioners), a community rooftop garden, a bookshop/library, and online micro-commissions. The programs emphasize collective learning, knowledge sharing, and engagement with local, regional, and international artistic communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Micro-Commissions: Online micro-commissions series launched during the COVID-19 lockdown, featuring small-scale artistic interventions on urgent issues
• BAC Commissions
• Rooftop Garden
• Beirut Art Book Fair

Products and services

• Exhibitions Program Year-round exhibition program creating spaces for engagement, collective learning, and knowledge sharing. Up to six exhibitions inaugurated annually, engaging local, regional, and international artists with platforms for experimentation and exchange. Free general admission to exhibitions.
• Education Program Educational workshops including Family and Children (ages 8-15) tracks on movement, storytelling, technology, and environmental care, plus Youth and Adults (age 16+) tracks on skills including metal welding, electricity, plumbing, gardening, and composting. 85 education programs documented in the center's history.
• Performance and Film Program Diverse programming including curated film programs, sound performances, DJ sets, screenings, and live drawing concerts presented across the center's auditorium and rooftop garden. 224 performance and film events documented in the center's history.
• BAC Commissions Artistic commissions supporting artists' work, including rolling art and sound commissions, Nano-neon small-scale luminary installations, and Central Hall spatial interventions (the latter launched in 2023).
• Residencies Program Durational residencies supporting research, development, and artistic practice, including artist/musician residencies, graphic designer residencies held twice yearly with six-month duration, and year-long rooftop garden residencies.
• Micro-Commissions Online micro-commissions series launched during the COVID-19 lockdown, presenting small-scale artistic prompts exploring complex issues through various media including comic art, video using CCTV cameras, and sound recordings.
• Bookshop and Library Library and bookshop offering books, resources, and conversation programs including Small Talks Around The Tables and book launches. Sales from the bookshop contribute to the center's revenue.
• Rooftop Garden Community-run urban farming garden established in 2022, based on mutual aid and horizontal organization principles. Hosts various BAC activities and serves as a catalyst for forging connections across artistic, scientific, and academic perspectives. Year-long rooftop residency track supports this initiative.

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• British CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Collaboration with British Council to present Curatorial Labs: Beirut Edition - a hybrid, practice-based curatorial development program nurturing early-career curators through site-specific research, critical dialogue, and experimental exhibition-making.
• Liverpool Arab Arts FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 October 2025Collaborative project initiated by Liverpool Arab Arts Festival and British Council MENA for Port Cities: Fragments of Maritime Routes exhibition, a traveling exhibition exploring maritime histories.
• British Council MENAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 October 2025Partner in the Port Cities traveling exhibition project, supporting artistic commissions and international collaboration.
• Saradar CollectioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 July 2025Collaboration with Saradar Collection to present artworks from their collection alongside new commissions in the Suni'a Bisihrika exhibition, spanning from early 20th century through the 1980s.
• Dalloul Art FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 July 2025Collaboration with Dalloul Art Foundation to present artworks from their collection alongside new commissions in the Suni'a Bisihrika exhibition, creating dialogue between historical and contemporary artistic practices.
• Italian Cultural InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian Cultural Institute presented the Electric Whispers exhibition by Rä di Martino at Beirut Art Center.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• KW Institute for Contemporary Art: Berlin-based non-profit kunsthalle with exhibitions, residencies, and an extensive public program — directly comparable non-profit contemporary art center model with similar multidisciplinary programming.
• Sharjah Art Foundation: UAE-based non-profit organization focused on contemporary art and cultural practice through residencies, exhibitions, commissions, and the annual March Meeting — most analogous MENA peer combining exhibitions, education, residencies, and commissions.
• Sursock Museum: Beirut's principal contemporary art museum housed in a historic villa, presenting temporary exhibitions of modern and contemporary Lebanese and international art — same city and overlapping curatorial mission.
• Ashkal Alwan: Lebanese Association for Plastic Arts, a Beirut-based non-profit dedicated to contemporary art practice with programs including residencies, exhibitions, and the Home Workspace program — the closest peer given shared city, non-profit structure, and multi-disciplinary contemporary art focus.
• Whitechapel Gallery: London non-profit gallery presenting major exhibitions of modern and contemporary art, education programs, and commissions — analogous non-profit exhibition-led institution with education and public programming.
• Delfina Foundation: London-based non-profit dedicated to residencies and artistic exchange with a strong MENA focus and international partner network — comparable in residency-centric, non-collecting model with similar partnership approach.

Regional players

• Darat al Funun: Amman-based non-profit arts organization housed in six renovated buildings, presenting exhibitions of modern and contemporary Arab art and offering residencies — comparable program model but operating in Jordan rather than Lebanon.

Broad incumbents

• MoMA PS1: New York-based non-profit contemporary art institution affiliated with MoMA, presenting experimental exhibitions, artist residencies, and the annual Young Architects Program — overlaps with BAC's kunsthalle model, commissions, and experimental programming.
• Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art: Qatar-based museum focused on modern and contemporary Arab art with a permanent collection — shares MENA contemporary art focus but operates at larger institutional scale as a national collection.

Emerging players

• The Shed: New York cultural institution commissioning original works across disciplines from artists across various fields — comparable multi-disciplinary, commission-driven, non-collecting institutional model though at a much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/beirut-art-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Beirut Art Center