Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE                       MicrosoftInternetExplorer4                       /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}AnAfrican-American tourist had a life-changing experience in her journey to Senegal. 

What she discovered there gaveher a new perspective on the country. Washington artist Jacqueline Lee createscollages from fabric depicting African life and culture. She says she startedproducing art with African themes after visiting the former slave trade centeron Goree Island, "We were sort of immersed in the music, culture, thepeople. There was just so much to see, and we wanted to take all of ithome."

GoreeIsland's market place has town squares and historical sites. Lee says many ofher colleagues view Africa as one huge jungle. But she says it's much more thanthat, and uses her art as a way to show a broader version of the continent,especially to African-Americans, "Africa to us is the Motherland, you seepeople who look just like your family. They are telling their story, we aretelling our story and we are learning about one another through each person'sstory."

Stories of everyday life on Goree Island reveal flowing gowns and adornments. However,the island's horrific past is encompassed in the House of Slaves -- the laststop before lifelong bondage. "As you walked around the structure youactually felt a presence. At first we didn't talk about it, we just kind ofexperienced it. Suddenly people would start crying and it was just amazing,"she says.

Lee says much about Africa is amazing. And she wishes more Americans knew moreabout the continent: "I think thereis too much information out there for people to really believe that things arethe way they were years ago. There are just too many images in the newspaper,on the Internet, too many stories are coming out of Africa. If you payattention, you will understand what is happening. So there is just no way forpeople to be uninformed about Africa."

Lee says her customers include people of diverse racial backgrounds, attractedto her technique and use of bright colors, "It makes me feel I haveaccomplished exactly what I wanted to accomplish. I wanted people to experiencewhat I saw. I knew most people would not be able to take the trip and I didn'tknow if I'd ever make it back there but I wanted people to experience what Isaw and I think they do when they look at the work."

Lee says she has much to say about Africa and its people. Both inspire her. Andshe hopes to inspire others through her art, "I am sort of encouraged to do yet another piecesimply because there is another image that comes to mind. And that's the wholething about Africa. You can take pictures, you can walk through the city andyou can come up with different pieces. It is always with you. There is alwaysanother image that you want to do that represents the country."

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