The gallery aims to attract about 110,000 visitors a year

More than 81,000 people have visited the �14.2m Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (mima) since January.

The gallery saw more than 40,000 visitors alone for its first exhibition of works by Damien Hirst, Andy Warhol and Gavin Turk.

Regeneration agency One NorthEast said the gallery was a "significant asset" in the redevelopment of Tees Valley.

Returning visitors

Godfrey Worsdale, mima director, said: "We are delighted with the overwhelmingly positive feedback mima has received since opening.

"We have welcomed over 81,000 visitors to the gallery so far and know some of our visitors have already been several times in just six months."

The gallery attracted funding from Middlesbrough Council, Arts Council England, One NorthEast, European Regional Development Fund, Northern Rock Foundation and The Christina Foyle Foundation.

Stacy Hall, director of communications and tourism at One NorthEast said: "Mima is a fantastic asset to the Tees Valley and complements the regeneration going on elsewhere.

"It is a significant asset in the cultural and economic regeneration strategy for Middlesbrough and the Tees Valley and is leading to increasingly positive perceptions of the region."