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The critically acclaimed David Hockney exhibition at The MAC in Belfast is proving a massive ‘draw’ with school children across Northern Ireland, with almost 700 visiting the presentation since it opened last month.

The ‘I Draw, I Do’ exhibition by the Yorkshire-born artist, which opened to the public on August 19, is the first major showing of his work in Ireland and is one of the most popular events to be hosted by The MAC .

To date, the MAC has welcomed 661 pupils from 27 schools taking part in tours of the world-famous exhibition, with a further 15 more schools pencilled in before the exhibition comes to an end in the middle of October. This figure has smashed the MAC’s target of 20 school tours.

Some 15,000 art fans from Northern Ireland and further afield have already visited the exhibition and thousands more are expected before its close next month (16 October).

The show focuses on Hockney’s formative years at Bradford Regional College of Art in the 1950s as well as significant later works including his iPad portraits of family and friends.

Hugh Mulholland, senior curator at the MAC, said: “David Hockney is one of the greatest living artists and we are delighted to be presenting this first major collection of his work in Ireland. We expected his exhibition to be a huge attraction for students, particularly given the focus on his early experiences at art school. However the numbers of school children who are fascinated by his work has surpassed our expectations.”

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The title of the exhibition came from an answer Hockney gave to a question posed to him by designer Paul Smith: “Do you still draw in the more traditional way, in the way you first did when you left the Royal College?” Hockney replied: “Yeah, I draw, I do……from the age of 16 to the age of 20, all I did was really draw, because I was at the art school in Bradford and in Bradford you could be in the school from nine in the morning to nine at night.”

It’s not just students who are flocking to the exhibition. This weekend, the MAC welcomes families of all ages to explore the exhibition during its Hockney family weekend.

From creative painting workshops to family-friendly tours, there will be lots on offer for families looking for an exciting day out in the city. Open from 10am-7pm daily, suggested donation £3. For more info, visit the website .