A warm welcome and four exhibitions - including work created during lockdown - will be awaiting visitors when Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art reopens next week after months of closure.
The Gateshead gallery has announced it will be opening its doors on May 19 with plenty attractions for visitors - alongside a reduction in its opening hours.
Having been closed since last November, the gallery will reopen from Wednesday to Sunday - and Bank Holidays - only, from 10.30am until 6pm.
Its ground floor, which used to incorporate the cafe, became the Baltic Front Room last autumn and here - looking out onto Baltic Square - visitors will be welcome to take along a packed lunch and enjoy a chat or a coffee at its socially-distanced tables.
The Six Riverside restaurant - having moved from the gallery's top floor to the mezzanine level - will serve lunch and drinks during gallery hours and there is no need to book, except if wanting to make an evening reservation.
The Baltic shop will be open and the ground floor also will host the first of the four exhibitions: the Baltic Open Submission, showing work created during lockdown by 158 North East artists and makers which was submitted through an open call-out process.
The Baltic team are hugely excited about the reopening and its director Sarah Munro said: "We are looking forward to welcoming the visitors and communities we have missed so much through our doors, and sharing moments of re-connection."
The gallery is going all-out to make a comeback in style with each of its four floors hosting an exhibition while its viewing box is worth the visit alone.
Returning visitors will have to wear face coverings and are invited to pre-book a free timeslot so they can take in the exhibition and viewing areas while visits to the gallery's library, learning lounge or sensory room can be booked separately.
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However walk-ins on the day will be welcome too.
Visitors will be able to visit four exhibitions in total; the other three being level two show Pakui Hardware: Virtual Care; then The Making of Husbands on level three and the Huma Bhabha: Against Time exhibition, of sculptures and photo-drawings, on level four where visitors also will find the external viewing terrace.
Those wanting to enjoy more views can climb a floor higher and take in the panorama from the level five viewing box.
The gallery has the UK Good to Go mark earned by for tourism businesses sticking rigidly to Covid-19 guidelines and more information about its safety measures can be found here.
To book a free timeslot for a visit see here or call 0191 261 3830.
