attract a wider cross section of Bermuda residents and involve more Bermudian artists -- here and abroad.

Gallery trustees set the goal after emerging from a 48-hour symposium last week which featured Canadian management consultant Ms Marion Paquet as the guest speaker and a pool of talent from the local, US and Canadian art and advertising scene.

Ms Paquet said she was impressed with the Bermudiana collection and its exhibitions so far, especially one highlighting young female artists.

The gallery had also scored a major success in bringing a Georgia O' Keeffe collection to Bermuda later this year, she noted.

It would be a "blockbuster'' show and one of the highlights of the gallery's seven-year history, she said.

Trustee Mr. Tom Butterfield said one point which came out in the brainstorming session and which he would certainly be following up on was to organise a wide range of fundraising activities involving the whole Island and all the gallery's trustees.

While the symposium had given Gallery trustees new food for thought, it had also worked to "solidify''' what it was doing -- having "stepped into the unknown'' several years ago, he added.

"We are more convinced than ever that we are on the right track following this symposium,'' he said. "Ultimately we are trying to build a world class small collection.'' Ms Paquent is the president of MAP Consulting Services, whose clients include a large number of public art galleries, museums and performing arts organisations.

MAP's mission is "to effect positive change in the non-profit sector''.

It provides customised service to help boards and senior management assess their needs at their particular stage of development.