VIEWING art in Middlesbrough will change over the next two years in preparation for a new gallery in the town centre.

Instead of encouraging people to see the town's unique pieces at the Middlesbrough Art Gallery, in Linthorpe Road, and the Cleveland Craft Centre, in Gilkes Street, the works of art will be visiting the community.

The centres closed on Saturday and the collections will be shown at regular exhibitions in schools, community centres, art colleges and shopping centres, while plans for the new building, near Claes Oldenburg's Bottle of Notes sculpture, are developed.

Promising artists will also be given the opportunity to have their work shown as efforts to raise awareness of art are stepped up.

Middlesbrough craftsman and fine art designer James Beighton wants the town to become a centre of great art so he can take exhibitions of work on tour around the world.

He said: "We have found that numbers have been dwindling at the art gallery and craft centre, so we want to do something to turn that around.

"We will still be showing parts of our collections, but it will be more varied and the public will have easier access too so they will not have to travel especially into town to see it."

Middlesbrough Council owns a collection of 20th Century and contemporary international drawings, British ceramic art and a collection of modern-day jewellery.

They will all be housed under one roof when the gallery opens in summer 2005.

Mr Beighton said: "This is going to have a dramatic impact on the face of the town centre and may even be an award-winning piece of architecture.

"We are terribly excited about the changes that will be taking place in Middlesbrough."

* Children from five primary schools have chosen their 12 favourite works from Middlesbrough's fine art collection.

Their selection will be interpreted by an artist, who will focus on small parts of each work and enlarge them on canvas to make a set of new works.

The works will highlight the use of colour and materials.

A spokesman for Middlesbrough Council said: "Pupils will be encouraged to touch and explore the finished works in order to bring them closer to real art rather than reproduction, poster or photographic images.''

The project is being funded with a Government grant.