Bermuda's National Art Gallery is set to get back to the Island's African roots this autumn.

For Celebration, a massive display of African art, will go on display at the end of this month.

The African collection was built up by the Bermuda National Gallery through public donations.

Gallery director Laura Gorham said: "This is a big commitment to 60 percent of the people on the Island -- but it will appeal to everyone across the board.

"Our present collection is European and appeals to 30 to 40 percent of the population. But 60 percent wasn't drawn here unless there was a special exhibition.'' Mrs. Gorham said Celebration was designed with the goal of appealing to the majority of Bermudians -- who are of African extraction -- so that the whole community could get involved.

She added that contributions towards the collection were pegged at $1,800 so individuals and groups not normally involved in the art scene could contribute.

She said: "We wanted everyone to feel a part of it, feel like they own it.

And the people have responded. We priced items so locals could afford it. We wanted the collection to be part of the community.'' And she noted that 15 local schools collaborated to purchase a hawk mask.

The 22 pieces were part of the New York Perls Collection, most of which was assembled during the 1940s and 50s.

A local collector added an additional nine high quality African sculptures which were on loan recently to the High Museum in Atlanta, Georgia.

The 31 pieces are the first African art to become part of the Gallery's permanent collection.

The items selected represent many areas of the African continent, including Nigeria, Cameroon, Liberia, Mali, Ivory Coast, Zaire and Angola.

Dr. Mary Nooter Roberts, a former senior curator at the Museum for African Art for ten years, has not only made a personal donation to the campaign, but she and her husband, Dr. Alan Roberts, have also offered to write the catalogue for the Bermuda collection.

In addition, Dr. Roberts will also be visiting Bermuda to train volunteers on the pieces and lecture the public on African art.

Dr. Roberts, who has taught African art history at Columbia University and Swarthmore College, has a Ph.D. in art history from Columbia.

She is a consulting editor to African Arts magazine and the author of a catalogue for the Detroit Institute of Art's permanent collection of African art.

Dr. Roberts' husband is a professor of Anthropology and African American World Studies, director of the African studies programme and co-director of the Project for Advanced Study of Art and Life in Africa at the University of Iowa.

The couple will hold lectures on September 24 and 25 at 5.30 p.m. as well as a lunchtime lecture on September 25.

Mrs. Gorham said Dr. Mary Roberts was one of the best speakers she has ever heard.

"She is knowledgeable but friendly with a down to earth style which doesn't go over your head. She knows her stuff and she's so open.

"It would be a real shame for those interested in African art to miss it.'' Noting that a maximum of 125 people could attend each lecture, Mrs. Gorham said those who could not make them would get a chance to hear Dr. Roberts speak at the opening.

But before the official opening takes place, Mrs. Gorham said the gallery needed more docents to lead tours of the exhibition.

"We need more docents to sign up and be trained for this show,'' she said.

"Dr. Roberts will do the training. We would like to have 60 docents to work from, especially if we get the same response as the other African shows. We don't want them to burn out.'' Mrs. Gorham added that the docents would transfer the information they learned from Dr. Mary Roberts to the public so they would know the purpose behind the pieces.

"African art was not made to be pretty. It was made for a purpose and to be used and its important that people know about it.'' NATIONAL TREASURES -- Scott Nearon admires two pieces which are part of Bermuda's new African art collection. Celebration opens at the National Gallery on September 27.

Photos by Tony Cordeiro MASKED MAN -- Scott Nearon, grandson of National Gallery Chairman Louise Jackson, sports one of the masks which comprise the gallery's first permanent collection of African art.