The An Tobar Arts Centre at Tobermory on the Island of Mull is to benefit from the expertise of a visual arts marketing co-ordinator for the next three months. This is Marcus Wilson's fourth art gallery residency since being appointed to the two-year post last summer, which will see him spend time in various publicly-funded galleries throughout the Highlands and Islands helping them to develop a marketing plan and promote themselves more successfully.

Funded by the Scottish Arts Council National Lottery Fund and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), the post was created by HI-Arts, the arts development agency for the Highlands and Islands, and could serve as a pilot for similar arts marketing agencies throughout the UK.

Marcus Wilson, former marketing manager at the Bloomsbury Theatre in London, arrived in Tobermory last month to take up his most recent residency following periods with the Highland Council Exhibition Service, Art.tm in Inverness and the Pier Arts Centre in Stromness, Orkney.

During his residency at An Tobar Arts Centre, Marcus will prepare and begin to develop a plan for the gallery,while working on an ongoing strategy for the network of galleries as a whole.

Marcus is also on hand to help individual artists in the area with a series of one to one surgeries to help them promote their work through mediums such as the Internet.

On moving to his new residency on Mull, Marcus said: "An Tobar is a unique arts centre in a unique community, and provides a real focus for arts activity in Mull and Iona.

"The centre brings some exceptional events to the area, including dance, music and visual art, as well as providing new opportunities to the many local artists and musicians. Our challenge now is to reach out to even more members of the local community and its visitors."

Gordon Maclean, director at An Tobar Arts Centre said: "All the galleries in the Highlands and Islands run on a very tight budget so this is an excellent opportunity to make the most efficient use of marketing resources.

"Marcus is providing a useful objective view of An Tobar which will help our forward planning and allow us to build on our existing users and audiences."

The organisations still to benefit from Marcus' arts marketing expertise are: An Tairbeart, Tarbert, Argyll; An Tuireann Art Gallery, Portree, Skye; Taigh Chearsabhagh Art Gallery, Lochmaddy, North Uist; An Lanntair Art Gallery, Stornoway, Lewis; Timespan Art Gallery, Helmsdale, Sutherland; Another Space Ltd, Invergordon; Bonhoga Art Gallery, Weisdale, Shetland.