How the Grotto became the Khalil Gibran Museum- Mr. Joseph Geagea- Director of Gibran Museum

 

HOW THE GROTTO BECAME THE KHALIL GIBRAN MUSEUM- MR. JOSEPH GEAGEA- DIRECTOR OF GIBRAN MUSEUM

 

In this exclusive chat with Wole Adedoyin, a pioneer of the Khalil Gibran Society of Nigeria, Mr. Joseph Geagea, Director of the Gibran Museum shares with us the historical journey of the Gibran Museum.

WA: HOW DID THE KHALIL GIBRAN MUSEUM FIRST STARTED?

JG:The conversation towards the Gibran Museum first started in 1926, while in New York, Gibran who was still alive, had decided to buy the Monastery for his retirement and the hermitage as his final resting place. Upon his request, his sister Mariana purchased both the Monastery and the Hermitage.

 

On the 22nd of August 1931, Gibran's Corpse reached Bsharreh. The transformation of the new Monastery into a Museum did not occur until 1975 when the Gibran National Committee restored the Monastery and built a new wing in the eastern side. The floors of the Museum were linked through an internal staircase to create a harmonious space where the works of Gibran are to be exposed.

 

In 1932, the content of Gibran's studio in New York, including his furniture, personal belongings, Private Library, Manuscripts and 440 original Paintings, was transferred to his native town in Bsharreh. Today, these items form the content of the Gibran museum.

 

In the 7th century, Saint Sarkis’s cult reached Northern Lebanon. At the foot of the mountain, overlooking the Valley of the Saints, close to the Phoenician Tomb, east of the existing building and amidst the Caverns of the Hermits, lays the Cave that Gibran chose to be his tomb (room XII). It was known as the Hermitage of Saint Sarkis.

 

By the end of the 17th century, Carmelite monks living in the Qadisha valley, the sacred valley, began construction of a new monastery, which was completed in 1862. Originally, the Museum used to be a Grottoknown as the Mar Sarkis (Saint Sergious) hermitage.It wasfirst known as Gibran Khalil Gibran's tomb, and was later turned into his museum.

 

 

In 1995, the museum was further enlarged and supplied with up-to-date Equipment/materialsthat will enable it to exhibit the entire collection of Gibran's Manuscript, Drawings and Paintings.

A plan for the whole site including extensions, a parking and an access road was executed in the summer of 2003.The aim is to preserve the Lebanese heritage molded into a privileged cultural and tourism site.

WA: WALK ME THROUGH HOW YOU PLAN AND ORGANIZE THE ACQUISITION, STORAGE, AND EXHIBITION OF COLLECTIONS AND RELATED MATERIALS, INCLUDING THE SELECTION OF EXHIBITION THEMES AND ARTWORKS MADE BY OR ON KHALIL GIBRAN

 

JG:The organization of the exhibition inside the Museum is based on some main rules. Before we select the exact items, they must be in safe condition to be on a permanent exhibition. If the item is too fragile, if it was sent abroad and just came back after foreign exhibition, it is due to temporal rest and detailed examination before taking decision where to be placed.

Generally, our collection on permanent exhibition represents all artistic periods of Gibran; we are trying to present all kinds of Gibran's works, to show the variety and the richness of his artistic techniques.

We have galleries dedicated to the most famous of his written works, such as The Prophet,Jesus the Son of Man, Twenty Drawings. We try to represent the atmosphere of Gibran's creative environment - the objects that surrounded him in his daily life and the things that inspired his imagination.

WA: HOW ARE GIBRAN WORKS AND ART WORKS HOUSED AT THE MUSEUM? ARE THEY ALWAYS ON DISPLAY? IF NOT, ARE THEY AVAILABLE ON REQUEST?

 

JG:The Gibran Museum's collection of artworks forms a 440 original pieces of art, divided into certain groups, depending on their themes. They can be Oil paintings, Watercolors, or Charcoal. The collection on permanent display is formed of approximately 130 pieces of art, as we balance between the kinds we expose. We try to present the art of Gibran in all its variety and from all his artistic periods.

The artworks which are not on permanent display are placed in a special storage room called "The Reserve". They are placed under special conditions based on international standards. Usually, when we organize exhibitions, we let our partners choose from the entire collection, but always we keep the rule of choosing upon the general condition of the artworks.

WA: WHAT IS THE MOST CHALLENGING PART OF YOUR JOB AS THE DIRECTOR OF GIBRAN MUSEUM?

 

JG:The most challenging part of my job is how to keep up with it. It is so dynamic and every day, so much opens new horizons that I hardly find time to adapt to the current situation before something new comes out.

WA: WHAT ARE YOUR ROLES AS THE DIRECTOR OF GIBRAN MUSEUM?

 

JG:The first and the main role I have as the Director of the Gibran Museum is to understand and to take very personally the mission of Gibran and his heritage. His wish was his message to be spread and never to be forgotten. Many of his thoughts remain valid for the reality we live in, as if they are written today.

I take the message very personal. It guides my work and I apply it for all my responsibilities. I am in charge of the collections in the Museum, also enhancing the appearance of the Museum in front of hundreds of visitors coming. I also source for Supports, Donors, Sponsors, etc. I am also in charge of the daily needs of the museum and its structures. As Director of Gibran Museum, I am the face of the place. If any visitor feels happy after the excursion and leaves the Museum enriched with knowledge and experience - it is a smile on my face, a sign of doing my job well.

WA: WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE WORKS IN YOUR COLLECTION?

 

JG:There are plenty of artworks I like, but it is natural to have some closer to my heart. One of my favorites is called The Hand of God. It is a watercolor drawing of a huge arm, holding in its palm a folded figure of a human being. The figure is like just about to awake and begin its life and achievements. It shows that we are all creations of God, of one divine power from which we emanated and which remains beside us throughout all our lives.

Another of my favorite drawing is of a similar kind - it is called The Flame of Life. It is expressed through the image of a hand from which a warm flame comes, showing us that with our hands, or in other words with our deeds and creations we awake the flame of life and we enlighten the world. Another very interesting paintings drawn while Khalil Gibran was studying painting in Paris. It is a painting of a nude woman, who posed for Gibran. The woman is unknown, but it was beautifully drawn in warm autumn colors, for which reason it is called The Autumn.

WA: WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE WORK BY GIBRAN? WHY?

 

JG:My favorite literary work of Gibran is his last published book called The Wanderer. It is a collection of Short Stories with very deep morals. Even though The Prophet is considered as the most thoughtful of all of Gibran's works.

WA: TELL ME HOW YOU ORGANIZE, PLAN, AND PRIORITIZE YOUR WORK

 

JG:My priorityfollows the laid down rules of the Gibran National Committee and of course the priority of the Museum. If there is a project which will in any way improve the condition of the collection, if there is a project that can lead to improving of our facilities, I place them ahead of everything and I concentrate on the organizing process of such projects.

 The organizing of an exhibition abroad is a very heavy and complicated process and it needs to be given all the time. In times like this, such projects become priorities. I have a kind of personal understanding and preference regarding the priorities. For example I like prioritizing educational projects. I think that spreading education is a goal we all must work on. I put priority on projects like lectures, conferences, projects with universities. Such are not a financial target. We usually use reproductions of Gibran's works. But such projects have great impact on the young generation. They give different perspective of Gibran's philosophy and art between the young people of our tomorrow. I immediately embrace any such initiative.

WA: DO YOU ALWAYS GO OUT FOR EXHIBITION?

 

JG:If you mean if I should accompany the items we send from the Museum for exhibitions abroad, usually it is a must to go with them as I am the custodian of the collection, or in other words I am responsible for every single item which is inside or which leaves the museum.

There are plenty of logistics regarding this part from the organizers, but in most of the cases,I have to go wherever the collection goes. On the other hand - if your question is if we always do exhibitions abroad - yes, we put such projects as a priority, but we always study each case in details and very carefully. We estimate all the risks and we always prefer the projects with minimized risks and with best outcome, not only financially, but mostly socially for both the organizing parties.

WA: DO YOU HAVE TIPS FOR OTHER SMALL CULTURAL INSTITUTES THAT WILL HELP THEM WITH THEIR COLLECTION MANAGEMENT LIKE KHALIL GIBRAN COMMITTEE?

 

JG:There is plenty of advise we can give as an organization, to other smaller ones, maybe with less experience. Regarding the collection we follow certain internationally approved standards, which are a must. But according to the collection management, creating of registry, keeping a record on the collection and the history of each item, we follow a list of procedures which we have obtained through the years. Some are based on our knowledge while others are updated through our experiences working with other institutions abroad. Procedures and conditions can always be improved as we always seek for the best, but we can definitely transfer know-how practices.

WA: WHAT IS MOST CHALLENGING ABOUT WHAT YOU DO AT GNC

 

JG:Through the years, there have been many challenges, but always and since the Gibran National Committee is a non-profit organization, it is the fundraising for supporting the museum and its collection. Such funds usually come from the organizing of exhibitions abroad. Sometimes, the support is not only expressed by financial funding but trainings, transferring of know-how, sending of teams to do some restoration procedures and providing of some equipment. But all of these small steps lead to the considerable results at the end. Organizing of projects abroad is always a challenge as it is very easy to embrace the idea of doing it but it is different and much more difficult when it comes to the executing of the entire process and to leading it to the wished results.

WA: HOW MUCH TIME OFF DO YOU GET/TAKE?

 

JG:Honestly, I rarely take time off. Simply because it can never be completely off. Usually, as all regular employees I have my annual vacation, and the regular day off each week, but the reality is that during this time I always work more than during my regular working hours. During any working day at the Museum many things can distract me for example, questions from the Visitors, arranging for some special visits. My phone never stops ringing. My days at work are usually very exciting.

WA: WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR YOUNGER STUDENTS AIMING TO STUDY GIBRAN’S LIFE AND WORKS?

 

JG:I would like to advise everyone, who in any part of his life wishes to attempt a work on the topic related to Gibran, that it will not be a time spent for nothing. The journey called "Gibran" is so addictive and has the power to change the life of every person in good direction. Studying Gibran’s works may cost a lot of sacrifice. It may create a kind of internal battle in one's thoughts and self understanding but at the end it deserves every minute spent on it. Gibran, himself is a universe. We shall continue to learn from his works throughout all our lives.When it comes to the issue of life, Gibran is the best teacher.

WA: WHEN THE MUSEUM IS CLOSED, DO YOU SPEND TIME VISITING THE COLLECTION/EXHIBITIONS?

 

JG: When the museum is closed, I often pass by and spend time in the galleries because it is the best time to observe the heritage and each of the pieces from the collection. For professional reasons, whenever we prepare for an exhibition, I walk around the Museum, spending more time observing the creations of Gibran and rehearsing what to say to the visitors. Gibran Museum has become my second home. That is why every now and thenwhen it is closed, I pass and spend time there.

WA: IS THERE ANYTHING ABOUT YOURSELF YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO KNOW?

JG:Living with the works of Gibran and spending most of my entire professional life in his Museum, among his artistic creations influenced me and my whole life and channeled most of my views to a good direction. After so many years of working on Gibran, his life and his personality, I have found myself attached to his philosophy and artistic ideology.