THE HARRIS Museum and Art Gallery in Preston will be opening its doors for the first time on a bank holiday as part of the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations and a drive to promote regional galleries.

The opening on Tuesday comes as acclaimed artists, including painter David Hockney, launch a fight to get more funding for regional museums and galleries.

Head of arts and heritage services, Alexandra Walker, said: "We would be grateful for any government funding, we are an important resource with some national treasures."

There is currently a display of Preston artist Arthur Devis's Du Cane Triptych paintings as well as royal commemoratives celebrating the Silver Jubilee and royal visits to Preston at the Harris.

Mrs Walker said: "The Jubilee Day Tuesday opening is a great chance for people who work during the week and are busy on Saturdays to come along and see what we have to offer.

"The Harris is completely free and with such a wide range of exhibitions we are sure that there is something for everyone."

On Tuesday June 4 The Harris will be open to the public from 10am to 5pm.

This week the museum also launched its 'Everybody's Reading' project with the unveiling of specially designed banners, hung outside the building by the Flag Market, to promote the reading projects to encourage families to use the library.

Members of Foxton Girls' Group, in Avenham, parents from James' Street Nursery and the Parent Power group from Farringdon Park Community Centre, in Fishwick, all joined the five-week project to create the banners with artist Jack Lockhart.

For the past five weeks each group has written stories and poems, taken photographs and looked at a range of books for children -- to make the banners -- which are more than three metres long.