and their art will be held tonight.

The Bermuda National Gallery, which is temporarily the home of a multi-million dollar African art exhibition, has organised the lecture which will be held at the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club in Paget.

Titled "Revealing Africa'', it will be an introduction to the many peoples and cultures of Africa.

It is hoped that those who attend the lecture, and the others on November 10 and 12, will develop a better appreciation for the 100-object exhibit at the gallery.

Gallery director Mrs. Laura Gorham said the exhibit is going "very well'', with 100 students and 50 to 100 adults visiting it daily.

But she said if people knew more about African art and African culture they would enjoy it more.

"There's 100 objects from all over Africa, but each of them were made by people of different cultures. You can't generalise it. There's a use for each of the pieces. It's not made to look pretty.'' By attending the lectures, Mrs. Gorham said people, including those of African descent and those who have visited Africa, could have a better understanding of the objects.

The lecture will be conducted by the Cincinnati Historical Society Museum's ethnic programmes administrator Ms E. Selean Holmes.

Ms Holmes, who was a founding member of the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Centre, has studied and taught African culture for 17 years.

And she stressed that the lecture was important because Africa and its people are often misrepresented.

"Because Africa is in the news so much and most of what we hear is negative, this would give the average person a whole new look at the country and Africans.

"It is necessary to have that basic information before going to the museum because in order to interpret the art one should know about the people and the culture.

"If they don't know they will come out with a false perception.'' Ms Holmes will use music, film, and interaction with those attending to get her message across.

The lecture begins at 7.30 p.m. Tickets, which are $10 for the general public and $5 for gallery members, should be purchased or reserved at the gallery.

Ms E. Selean Holmes.