Even Before The Blast, Beirut’s Arts Communities Were In Crisis. Some Wonder If It’s Worth Trying To Rebuild

That’s because all of Lebanon was in crisis, with daily demonstrations, the collapse of the currency, and a gridlocked, dysfunctional political class that has been clinging to control since the civil war ended inconclusively 30 years ago. “What is frightening is that we are already so exhausted, so discouraged,” said the director of the city’s leading museum. “I don’t think we’re going to be able to pick ourselves up and move on,” lamented one gallerist. “I am 55. I have reconstructed my life so many times, and this time it’s just the last straw.” – CNN