A LEADING North-East art gallery will celebrate its centenary next year with a £430,000 makeover.

The work at Newcastle's Laing Art Gallery will see the creation of a watercolour gallery to feature the Laing's internationally important collections.

A refurbished gallery will feature highlights from the Laing's collection of 18th and 19th Century paintings.

There will be an art resource area and the gallery's marble hall and rotunda will be given a facelift.

The money for the work includes donations from the Barbour Trust and the Northern Rock Foundation.

Barney Rice, chairman of the Tyne and Wear Museums Joint Committee, said: "This is a major redevelopment for both Tyne and Wear Museums and the region.

"We are thrilled that we will be able to regularly show more of the gallery's stunning collection of to visitors.''

Gallery curator Julie Milne said: "The refurbishments are an important step forward for the Laing and it's wonderful that they will be completed in time for gallery's centenary year.

"We have a fantastic touring exhibition programme planned for 2004 as well as a series of exhibitions highlighting even more of the Laing's collection.''

The new galleries and facilities will open on April 17 alongside the third National Gallery Touring exhibition, titled Making Faces, which features masterpieces by artists such as Rembrandt, Goya, Hogarth, Opi, Renoir and Warhol.

The gallery will remain open during the work.