ELEVEN of Scotland's most popular museums and galleries will close every Monday as part of a GBP135,000 cost-cutting initiative in Glasgow's annual budget.
As The Herald revealed last month, the move will affect the Burrell Collection, the People's Palace, Scotland Street School Museum, the St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art and seven other venues.
It will cut cleaning and administrative costs, but it is believed only five full-time jobs will be affected.
The move is in line with other cities, including Barcelona, Venice, and Paris, which also close many of their museums on Mondays.
Ruth Simpson, city treasurer, said: "Glasgow is committed to providing free access to its museums for all. Free access will remain, seven days per week, at the refurbished Kelvingrove, at Goma, and most likely at the new Riverside Museum.
"However, Glasgow's museums do not attract national funding unlike museums in Edinburgh and London. Glasgow spends much more per head on culture and sport than it receives in grant aid from the Scottish Executive."
Scott Taylor, chief executive of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, said the move would not affect Glasgow's efforts to reinvent itself as a cultural centre since its European City of Culture status in 1990. He said: "There is a precedent for this across Europe. If you go to the Guggenhein in Bilbao or the Sistine Chapel on a Monday, you will find it closed."
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