THE art exhibition with Damien Hirst's sawn off cow and calf preserved in formaldehyde as its centre piece has pulled in more than 24,000 visitors.

The Turner Prize award-winning Mother and Child: Divided comes off the back of last year's successful Antony Gormley Field For The British Isles exhibition.

That display brought in 38,000 visitors and generated an estimated £850,000 for the economy in terms of accommodation, food, drink and advertising revenues.

This summer's art exhibition at the Spanish Barn, called Tamed, hoped to add £1million to the Bay's economy.

It cost Torbay Council £45,000 to put on compared with last year's £5,000 council investment, but attracted two-third of visitor numbers.

Council officials insisted the figures were good and had helped put 'Torbay on the cultural map'.

Councillor Dave Butt, Cabinet member for community services and regional Arts Council board member, said the event was not about the amount of visitors.

"We are delighted that the exhibition attracted over 24,000 to the Spanish Barn, thousands of whom may not have come into the Bay if it wasn't for the event," he said.

"Such numbers will have generated a huge amount of income for the Bay and we consider the initial expenditure of approximately £45,000 to be a very good investment.

"It would be deceptive to try and compare the visitor numbers to two totally different exhibitions by two very different artists and subject matters — what attracts one person may deter another — that is art.

"The English Riviera is certainly gaining a well-deserved reputation for hosting amazing art by some of the most renowned artists in the world.

"This year's exhibition has been a great success, attracting thousands of visitors into the Bay and inspiring a generation of our young people to get creative.

"Both exhibitions were not only seen by local residents but by large numbers of visitors to the area as well. Both holidaymakers and day visitors brought additional income into the Bay spending in shops, restaurants, attractions and with local accommodation providers."

Mr Butt said a 'full analysis of the large amount of data collected' will be carried out in the autumn, when the council has a full picture of the value of the exhibitions.

He added: "Just because the cows have gone home doesn't mean our work stops. We have lots of exciting ideas in the pipeline for Roll on Art on the English Riviera 2011, which I am sure will be equally as impressive, inspiring even more debate about the nature of art.

"Consultation about the Summer of Art on the English Riviera is ongoing and residents and visitors have until the end of the month to share their views. So whether you loved it or it wasn't your cup of tea, visit the Torbay Council website to have your say."

Tamed was embroiled in a row when it was launched to great fanfare and £10,000 white carpet was laid across the pitch-and-putt golf course at Torre Gardens for a two-day VIP exhibition preview.

Mr Butt said everyone attending Tamed this year was offered discounted entry to the Torre Abbey Contemporary Open (TACO) 3D exhibition in the main house and gardens, which featured a selection of sculptures from Westcountry artists.

He said: "As a result, the Abbey reported, for the second year running, an increase in visitor numbers over the summer months, as well as increased sales in the gift shop."

With visitor numbers down by a third on last year's Gormley exhibition, questions will be raised about the impact it could have on future exhibitions.