About 750 artworks by predominantly Black Brazilian artists are returning to Bahia, Brazil, after being exhibited in the US and Canada for over 30 years. Acquired by art historian Marion Jackson and artist Barbara Cervenka, these pieces will be housed at the National Museum of Afro-Brazilian Culture. This repatriation, part of a global movement to return cultural items legally, will see artworks feature in Bahia's Afro-Brazilian cultural hub.
In a global movement to return artworks to their countries of origin, around 750 pieces by predominantly Black Brazilian artists are returning to Bahia, Brazil, after being exhibited across the United States and Canada for over 30 years.
These pieces, including sculptures, paintings, prints, costumes, toys, and poetry booklets, were originally acquired by US art historian Marion Jackson and artist Barbara Cervenka after their 1992 visit to Salvador, Bahia.
The artworks, purchased mostly by personal funds with a few grants, come from artists in Bahia, Pernambuco, and Ceará.
The collection, initially intended to bridge cultural gaps between North and South America, will now be housed at the National Museum of Afro-Brazilian Culture (Muncab) in Bahia—a region where 80% of the population is of African descent.
Moreover, the repatriation is part of a global initiative to return cultural items to their origins legally.
The pieces are currently in Detroit, and plans detail their transportation and exhibition within the next year.