Tourists drawn to Renoir project spend £2.8m

Children from local primary schools engaged with Renoir's work as part of the project

An exhibition in Guernsey celebrating 19th Century French artist Renoir welcomed 15,775 visitors, its organisers have said.

David Ummels, founder of project organiser Art for Guernsey, said at a Chamber of Commerce presentation that the project enriched the cultural life of the island and provided a "quality experience" for tourists.

Of those visiting, 30.49% came from overseas and a third of those visitors made the trip specifically to see it, he added.

That group alone brought more than £2.8m to the local economy, Mr Ummels said.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir visited the island in 1883 and was known for his impressionist work.

The exhibition ran from September to December 2023 in Art for Guernsey's centre in Mill Street.

The project also involved running workshops with Year 3 pupils from local primary schools, with the aim of encouraging them to think outside the box.

Mr Ummels said: "For us, it matters a lot that through art, we create curriculum value.

"Art can play a key role to develop critical thinking and stimulate their level of tolerance."

David Ummels analysed the project at a Chamber of Commerce event

Data collected after the close of the exhibition showed that visitors came from the Channel Islands, the USA, the UK and six other European countries.

Those who visited with the sole purpose of seeing the exhibition stayed on-island for an average of five-and-a-half nights.

That group spent an estimated £2.8m overall on travel costs, hospitality and other entertainment.

'Credibility has been created'

Mr Ummels said the key to the success of the project lay in Art for Guernsey's ethos - the organisation defines itself "not as an art organisation, but as a charity that applies art for the greater good of the community".

He also thanked their partners for the generous support and said this project "makes a case for cultural tourism and proves that it does work".

"I think the key lessons are: one, it's doable, two, you have to do it by certain standards if you want to convince an economically-affluent audience abroad to travel to visit your event," said Mr Ummels.

"I think credibility has been created, at least for us in the visual arts space."

Art for Guernsey said it plans to run a similar project celebrating J.M.W. Turner involving a guided path, exhibitions and engagement with local schools and visiting artists.