The Musée des beaux-arts du Locle (MBAL – Museum of Fine Arts Le Locle), located in the canton of Neuchâtel in the Switzerland, organizes temporary exhibitions three times a year. Showcasing prints, photographs, installations and paintings, solo and thematic exhibitions take place in a 2,000 m2 space. These exhibitions of Swiss and international art, past and present, highlight both emerging and established artists. Open to all techniques and mixed media in particular, MBAL also organises the Triennale de l'art imprimé contemporain (Triennial of Contemporary Prints). History At the end of the Neuchâtel Revolution of 1848, Le Locle opened a museum dedicated to watchmaking, geology and natural sciences. Originally, only objects produced or sourced locally and that would be of interest to the local population were exhibited. In order to broaden the taste required for the booming local watch industry, the museum soon decided to include works of art, but always in connection with the region. In 1862, locally based members of the Société des Amis des Arts de Neuchâtel and students of Le Locle Drawing School (past and present), came together to form a society of artistic emulation and founded an association called Société des beaux-arts et du musée du Locle (The Fine Arts Society), which then became the MBAL as it exists today. The first exhibition organised by the Société des beaux-arts et du musée took place from 10 to 30 June 1868. Originally, fine art exhibitions were held every two years in various premises made available to the Society. Then, in 1876, the first permanent exhibition was held in a hall of the town’s high school: this year marked the creation of the MBAL. However, the high school hall quickly became a meeting room and a repository for progressively acquired works. Exhibitions also took place in a room at the Casino du Locle between 1880 and 1913. It was not until 1913 that the MBAL moved into its current building. From 2011 to 2014, expansion and redevelopment of the museum made it possible to renovate the exhibition rooms, now spread over four floors, and to create a café and shop, as well as a cultural media centre. Its Art Nouveau architecture has been preserved and highlighted thanks to the support of the Office de la protection des monuments et des sites (Office for Monument Protection) and of the Conseil d'Etat de la République et du Canton de Neuchâtel