Virtual worlds agency Millions of Us has named a new artist to its artist-in-residence program, which focuses on discovering and promoting emerging artists in the spheres of virtual worlds and social networking. The company sponsors the artists discovered through the program, offering them the opportunity for informal collaboration with the Millions of Us creative team, and to use the company's technical resources to work independently on their own projects in a "relaxed atmosphere" and "unstructured program."

Mark Stephen Meadows will be the firm's second artist-in-residence. Meadows is a portrait artist and author who is also releasing a book titled "I, Avatar; The Culture and Consequences of Having A Second Life." In his residency with Millions of Us, the company says Meadows will build six different self-portrait avatars in six different virtual worlds, creating a first-person travelogue of each.

The first artist named to the program was UK-based Rob Wright, known as "Robbie Dingo" in Second Life, whose short film, a 3D interpretation of Van Gogh's famous Starry Night painting, was produced entirely in Second Life. His first commission through the program is a film interpretation of the song "Meteors" by electronic music performer Kirsty Hawkshaw.