Doni Clemons
In a mansion in Gávea that used to entertain guests such as Henry Ford II, Nelson Rockefeller, Aristotle Onassis and Mick Jagger, museum-goers can now view homegrown Brazilian art. The Instituto Moreira Salles, was created in the former home of one of the wealthiest families in Brazil in 1992. Walther Moreira Salles, a Brazilian banker and former ambassador to the US made millions in banking and more recently with an early investment in niobium and decided to use some of it for the greater good. The Instituto Moreira Salles promotes photography, literature, libraries, visual arts and Brazilian music. The focus is on longer term projects and re-ocurring projects that are educational and informative. Often this allows visitors to really tap into the heart of Brazilian culture. A visit to the mansion can sometimes be like a discovery zone, because the instution does not shy away from promoting little known artists or independent works. It could be because two of Walther Moreira Salles' arts-oriented sons now have involvement in the museum. Walter Salles, directed the movies “On the Road,” based on the novel by Jack Kerouac, and “The Motorcycle Diaries,” about Che Guevara before he was Che Guevara. And Joao Salles, who is a documentary filmmaker and the founder of Piaui, a Brazilian magazine inspired by The New Yorker, is also a director of the Instituto Moreira Salles.
