VANCOUVER, BC.- The 17 days of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games were the most highly attended in the Vancouver Art Gallery’s history. With line-ups that wrapped around Robson Square , the Gallery welcomed more than 95,000 visitors through its doors between February 12 and 28.

"From Leonardo da Vinci: The Mechanics of Man to Visions of British Columbia: A Landscape Manual", a massive two-floor survey of works from our permanent collection showcasing significant British Columbia art and artists of the past century, these numbers verify that we hit the mark with our dynamic and ambitious program,” said Kathleen Bartels, director of the Vancouver Art Gallery . “Culture was at the heart of these Olympic Games, and, now more than ever, Vancouver is seen as an international art centre. This success serves as a catalyst to create a more significant and expanded facility for showcasing the more than 10,000 works in our collection, as well as the major international exhibitions that the Gallery continues to bring to this region.”

Through a partnership with the Province of British Columbia , admission to the Gallery and the BC Canada Pavilion, located on the Gallery’s fourth floor, was free during the 17 days of the Olympic Winter Games. The Gallery will continue this partnership with the Province of British Columbia during the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, March 12 to 21, 2010, enabling free admission for all visitors.

"Leonardo da Vinci: The Mechanics of Man" will be presented until May 2 and its companion exhibition, "Visceral Bodies", a show featuring the arresting work of contemporary artists focused on the human form, will continue until May 16. "Visions of British Columbia: A Landscape Manual" will remain on display until April 18.

The Gallery’s programming for the exterior of the building also carries on after the Games. "Michael Lin: A Modest Veil", featuring the massive hand-painted mural covering the Gallery’s Georgia Street façade, will stay in place until May 2. CUE: Artists’ Videos, which features the work of 79 video and film-based artists on a 20-foot LED screen on the Gallery’s Robson Street façade, is on view until March 21.