[1] Open to all techniques and mixed media in particular, MBAL also organises the Triennale de l'art imprimé contemporain (Triennial of Contemporary Prints).

At the end of the Neuchâtel Revolution of 1848, Le Locle opened a museum dedicated to watchmaking, geology and natural sciences.

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.

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.

[4] 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.

Well-known artists such as Albert Anker, Charles Clément, Gustave Jeanneret, Édouard Jeanmaire, Charles L’Eplattenier, Léopold Robert, Otto et Benjamin Vautier, Francisco de Goya, Odilon Redon, Jean-Baptiste Corot, Pablo Picasso, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Henri Matisse, etc.

The interest aroused by the prints of Bonnard, Cézanne, Toulouse-Lautrec, Chagall and many other artists, encouraged the MBAL to focus its collection on original printmaking, while remaining open to other media.

This collection was completed in 2001 with the purchase of more than 200 works, including stained glass projects, large paintings, drawings and lithographs.

[9][10] In its early days, the event - in conjunction with the museum's collections - exhibited only Swiss artists; it then gradually opened up to international talent.

Adults, professionals and personalities from the world of art and culture are invited to participate in round tables on a variety of topics.

In addition to the activities it provides, the MBAL offers visitors several educational tools that allow them to deepen their knowledge on certain subjects and discover the exhibitions from another perspective.

An activity book, which includes games and anecdotes about artists and the exhibited works is given to children upon their arrival at the museum.

For adults, the MBAL produces a series of small bilingual publications, in French and English, which offer an interview with an emerging artist who is exhibiting at the museum and works with digital tools (three issues already published in March 2017)[12] Art imprimé contemporain.