Museu Internacional de Arte Naif do Brasil (Rio de Janeiro; tel. 021/2205-8612; www.museunaif.com.br): Don't miss this little museum, just a few hundred yards from the Corcovado tram station. The practitioners of naive art (also called primitive or ingénue art) paint from the heart, creating colorful and expressive drawings. Visitors will recognize many popular scenes from Cariocas's daily life -- a soccer game at the Maracanã stadium, the samba parade, the beaches, and neighborhood cafes.
Museu de Arte Sacra (Mariana; tel. 031/3557-1158: One of the best collections of sacred art in Brazil can be found in the small town of Mariana, just outside of Ouro Prêto. The vast collection of impressive gold and silver works is displayed in a gorgeous old colonial mansion.
Monument to Latin America (São Paulo; tel. 011/3823-9611; www.memorial.org.br): Designed by famed Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, the monument is, well, so Niemeyer -- shy of a visit to Brasilia, it's the best place to see Brazilian modernism in all its concrete austerity.
Pinacoteca do Estado (São Paulo; tel. 011/3229-9844): The Pinacoteca in São Paulo is the place to come for anyone who wants to see Brazilian art. The museum has an excellent collection of Brazilian art from the 19th and 20th centuries, including works by Alfredo Ceschiatti, the artist who designed many of the sculptures in Brasilia.
Museu de Arte Sacra (Salvador; tel. 071/3243-6310): One of the finest museums in Salvador, the Arte Sacra displays one of Brazil's best collections of Catholic art. The artifacts are shown in the monastery adjoining the Igreja de Santa Teresa, a simple, beautiful building that is itself a work of art. The collection includes oil paintings, oratorios (small cabinets containing a crucifix or saint image), and amazing silver work.
Forte das Cinco Pontas/Recife City Museum (Recife; tel. 084/3224-8492): Originally built by the Dutch in 1630 and rebuilt by the Portuguese in 1677, the fort today has been magnificently restored; you can wander the ramparts and explore at will. The city museum, which takes up two wings of the fort, is well done. Two whole (air-conditioned) rooms are devoted to the Dutch period, and there's a wealth of maps and drawings.
