being poorly attended, director Ms Laura Gorham disclosed yesterday.

The "disappointing'' numbers of people visiting the long-awaited gallery prompted its board of directors to slash the admission price from $5 to $2.50 and allow people under age 16 in free.

Although Ms Gorham believes the $5 admission may have deterred some in these tough economic times, she believes there are other reasons for the poor attendance.

She said the gallery, officially opened in March in the East Exhibition Room of City Hall, is not being advertised enough abroad to encourage tourists to visit.

And she said there was no sign identifying City Hall and pointing out where the gallery is.

"You'd be surprised at the number of people who don't know where it is or can't find it,'' she said.

But she said directors are working to get a sign put up and the Tourism Department is doing its best to put the word out about the gallery and its exhibits.

She added it was also surprising the number of people who have told her they have not yet gotten around to visiting the gallery.

Ms Gorham said the gallery's directors had "always had a policy that admission should be as inexpensive as possible'', but, "daily expenses have to be covered somehow''.

She pointed out the gallery's electricity bill alone was $175 a day. "We need help and support from the community,'' Ms Gorham said. "The initial fund raising covered the cost of building the gallery, but we now need to raise $100,000 over the next year to cover the cost of running it.'' Sizeable donations were made by individuals and businesses to the Bermuda Fine Art Trust from 1988 onwards when the Hon. Hereward T. Watlington bequeathed his renowned collection of European paintings to the people of Bermuda on condition they be stored in a climate controlled environment.

Ms Gorham said halving the admission price was a "summer special''.

"I am concerned about the number of people attending so we are trying to make price not an issue,'' Ms Gorham said. "About 25-60 people are coming a day and it is disappointing. We need more bodies in here...

"We want everyone in Bermuda to feel comfortable in our world class gallery so we've lowered the admission fee and made it policy that all children 16 and under have free admission.'' One of the gallery's benefactors has asked that his donation help subsidise the admission fee at least for the summer, Ms Gorham added.

The gallery is open Monday through Saturday.