For the first time in its history, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston presents a selection of works by 20th-century Brazilian artists of mostly African descent in Samba Spirit: Modern Afro Brazilian Art. Opening the weekend of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the exhibition is on view January 18–October 19, 2014 and includes 15 paintings and one work on paper by key artists including Heitor dos Prazeres, Maria Auxiliadoro da Silva and Waldemiro de Deus, as well as two sculptures by Agnaldo Manoel Dos Santos.

Rarely studied in the United States, these artists drew on a range of traditions and found inspiration in all aspects of Brazilian culture—religious rituals, urban and rural life, music and dance. Each has a distinct approach to subject, style and iconography, creating a lively range of imagery on view in the Bernard and Barbara Stern Shapiro Gallery. Comprising recent acquisitions from The John Axelrod Collection, the works date from the 1930s to the 1980s and will be accompanied by a map of Brazil and wall labels in both English and Portuguese.