At New Plymouth District Council's Govett-Brewster Art Gallery and Len Lye Centre, an exhibition of tapestries smuggled out of Afghanistan attracted around 21,800 visitors, with around 16,000 coming from outside Taranaki.
'There Is No Other Home But This' ran as an exhibition at the Gallery from March to mid-June, and featured works from Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington-based Areez Katki and Sydney-based artist Khadim Ali.
Spanning embroidery, sculpture, painting and animation, the works connected contemporary life with the two artists' shared Persian heritage.
Gallery director Dr Zara Stanhope says the Gallery has long been a destination for cultural tourism.
"This was underscored when Lonely Planet acknowledged the Len Lye Centre in 2017's second-best regional destination accolade.