Since becoming a mayor I've found myself on a steep learning curve in many areas and one of them is art.

It's a subject which I must admit had passed me by. Museums and art galleries weren't really my thing.

But now my appreciation of art is growing. I have also come to realise how important it is for any town or city to have an artistic dimension and how this should not simply be restricted to one or two buildings.

In Middlesbrough, we are very proud of the art gallery and public square which will be opening next year. The development smashes the jaundiced image some people have of the town and will attract a whole influx of visitors who previously might never have made the journey.

Discussing this with broadcaster Melvyn Bragg - who recently visited Middlesbrough - I was delighted to discover we both share an appreciation of the artistic value of cars.

I must have spent tens of thousands of hours over the years looking at cars: the colours, the shapes; rare and common models, cheap and expensive.

That industry - particularly the second hand car market - has also had some image problems. But I suspect times might be changing after a visit earlier this week to what is described as DaimlerChrysler's first purpose-built, multi brand UK supersite.

The site, on an incline off Newcastle's Scotswood Road, was specifically chosen to showcase Mercedes, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Smart cars because it looks down on the valley - and other motor traders - below.

To describe it as a "garage" is an insult, car dealership also doesn't do it justice. To me, it was an art gallery for cars, a four acre, multi-million pound development heavy on wood, glass and chrome and use of natural lighting.

Even if you're not committed to buying a car I recommend a visit just for the view or the chance to sample the trendy coffee bar and bistro.

People visit art galleries just to stand and look and admire, never imagining they could afford the exhibit before them. Now it seems modern businesses are latching on to this by encouraging people to come and look and admire. The secret is to offer something they can afford once you've got them through the door.

Of course, there are the spanking new Mercedes and Chryslers on display but the humble Smart car and second hand models are also given the Ferrari treatment and displayed on a pedestal in well-lit space, rather than being shoehorned into an Arthur Daley-style yard.

I've seen a similar attitude at Psyche in Middlesbrough and other fashion stores where T-shirts are hung like works of art, and in some bars where subtle lighting and photographs encourage people to sample an atmosphere, not simply a drink.

We are determined that mima - the Middlesbrough institute of modern art - will be inclusive. We want to help attract as many visitors as possible to the region. We believe that getting people here is the crucial first step in countering the lazy, stereotypical way the region is sometimes portrayed.

Once people have visited, I'm confident they will be so impressed by what they see that they will return.

And our cause can only be helped by businesses who take a similarly progressive view to the way they treat their customers and their products.

Published: 08/04/2005