Wini McQueen.

Wini McQueen is a Macon-based textile artist who creates colorful works of art using fabric and dyes. On Wednesday, December 4, McQueen will discuss her recent trip to the Ivory Coast and the history of textiles in that area as part of the Sidney’s Salons lecture series. The series is presented by the Lanier Center for the Arts, a division of Historic Macon Foundation, established to honor the legacy of poet Sidney Lanier, who was born at the cottage that now bears his name.

According to Nicole Kubas, spokesperson for Historic Macon, “McQueen recently returned from a trip to Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) in West Africa and will share the sights, the sounds and the flavors of that exotic part of the world.”

McQueen’s presentation will focus on African concepts of wealth and beauty and gender roles in the production of fabrics, especially in Ivory Coast.

Kubas continued, “Attendees will listen to the music, see photographs, taste the flavors as well as be invited to handle (the) tools and textiles used in everyday life and in traditional ceremonies of Côte d’Ivoire.”

Fabric items will be available for purchase and proceeds will benefit an educational exchange program to bring Zan Stella, an Ivorian weaver, to Macon.

Sidney’s Salons lectures are free for Historic Macon members, $5 for non-members, and $3 for students with ID. A reception begins at 5:30 p.m. with the presentation following at 6 p.m.

Sidney Lanier Cottage: 935 High St., Macon; 478-742-5084; www.historicmacon.org