As Dundee becomes increasingly excited about the arrival of the V&A, one of the city’s existing galleries is approaching a milestone of its own.
Visitor numbers to the McManus are bearing down upon the half-million mark since the museum reopened in February 2010.
With around 434,000 visitors since then, the McManus has been hailed ”a cultural asset” and a boost to the local economy.
Jim Clarkson, regional director of VisitScotland, said: ”These figures are a tremendous endorsement of the depth of the tourism offering in Dundee and represent a real accolade to the popularity of the city as a tourist destination.”
Since the gallery reopened it has played host to a number of prestigious paintings and exhibitions, including Titian’s 16th-century masterpiece Diana and Acteon, which brought in nearly 30,000 visitors during its eight days in the city.
Lord Provost Bob Duncan, chairman of Leisure and Culture Dundee, which operates the McManus, said: ”Since its refurbishment, the stunning McManus continues to attract thousands of visitors and is widely know as a quality destination.”
He continued: ”We are eagerly anticipating the arrival of the Leonardo drawings next month.
”Dundee is the only Scottish destination for this royal collection touring exhibition and there is sure to be a lot of interest.”
To celebrate the Queen’s diamond jubilee, the McManus is showing 10 of the royal collection’s finest Leonardo da Vinci drawings.
Visitors will be able to see the scope of Da Vinci’s interests executed in a range of different media.
The exhibition runs from August 31 to November 4.
The McManus will also play host to Selling Dreams: 100 Years of Fashion Photography, an exhibition by the V&A at Dundee.
Some of the world’s most stunning fashion images will go on show from September to January.
Mr Clarkson said: ”Hosting such renowned pieces is testament to the growing reputation of Dundee as a cultural hot spot and will be imperative for the local economy as more and more people visit the area.
”Tourism is critical to Angus and Dundee. It supports thousands of jobs and brings in many millions of pounds every year, the likes of the McManus Gallery and the DCA (Dundee Contemporary Arts) are integral to this success and driving tourism and the economy forward.”
Alan Mitchell, chief executive of Dundee and Angus Chamber of Commerce, said the McManus’ success was very important to the city.
He said: ”It’s a great cultural asset. It helps position the city as an attractive place for visitors.
”We talk about the V&A, but we shouldn’t lose sight of the fact we already have a great amount of visitor attractions in the city.
”We want people not just to come for one day to see the V&A, but two or three days and use the city as a base to stay and see the other visitor attractions, shop and perhaps get out and play some golf in Angus.
”These visitor numbers show it’s a great attraction to add to the mix of what we’ve already got and a base to build on for drawing more people in.
”That’s great for the local population, but also great for building on Dundee as a visitor attraction.”
For more details see www.mcmanus.co.uk.