MORE than 42,000 people have visited Colchester’s Firstsite arts centre since it opened six weeks ago.

Bosses had hoped free exhibitions at the £28million gallery would attract 150,000 visitors in its First year.

If the rate of 7,000-a-week continues, Firstsite will have brought in 364,000 visitors in the first 12 months.

Director Kath Wood hailed the six-week total as a great success.

She said: “That’s more than a quarter of our projected visitors figure for the entire year.

“We’ve been delighted with the response to our launch exhibition.

“So many different sections of the local community have used the building for talks, creative courses, school visits, screenings, meetings and functions.

“The first big event in our auditorium, a talk by renowned local historian Andrew Phillips, was sold out.”

The first exhibition, entitled Camulodunum, celebrates Colchester’s rich heritage as Britain’s first town.

It features work from world-famous artists, including Andy Warhol and JMW Turner.

The second exibition will be a solo show by Steven Claydon.

Ms Wood said: “Visitors can catch our opening show until Sunday, January 22.

“We’re very excited about our next exhibition, which runs from Saturday, February 4, to Monday, May 7. It’s a solo show by Steven Claydon, the first major exhibition of his work in a UK public gallery, and will feature sculpture, video and print.”

Claydon, 42, is an artist and musician based in London.

He has performed and shown work internationally in exhibitions at the Tate Modern in London and galleries in Switzerland, New York, Dusseldorf and Frankfurt.

Ms Wood said the plan was to keep freshening up the centre.

Firstsite will have four exhibition slots a year, usually lasting three months each.

The gallery was originally due to open in 2008 at a cost of £16.3million, but was beset by a series of setbacks and delays.

Firstsite includes a 190-seat auditorium for film screenings, talks and seminars, a learning space, shop and a cafe which becomes a restaurant at night.