BOSTON – The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston offering free admission to everyone and a plethora of special activities on Monday from 10 a.m. until 4:45 p.m., in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.The museum is offering free admission, live performances of an African Diaspora, a poetry slam and family activities.The exhibition Karsh 100: A Biography in Images highlights iconic portraits of the 20th century by photographer Yousuf Karsh, and Photographic Figures, which features the work of numerous photographers. The exhibits serve as inspiration for the open house theme “Defining Images.”William Banfield of Berklee College of Music will give a lecture-performance about the roots of music from the African diaspora with assistance from the Berklee faculty ensemble. Banfield paints a musical portrait of the roots of black music culture, emphasizing its impact on society.”These photography exhibitions offer a unique opportunity for us to begin a dialogue with the community about truth and illusion in images,” says Zakiya Thomas, the MFA’s Citizens Bank Foundation Manager of Community Relations. “We hope that people will enjoy looking at art and participating in activities that invite questions long after the museum visit has ended.”The MFA Film Program will screen films at 12:30 p.m. in the Remis Auditorium about former Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm and singer/actor Paul Robeson, whose portrait is on display in the Karsh 100 exhibit.From 10 a.m. Until 4 p.m. in the Foster Gallery Workshop Studio, families can peruse the Rachel Whiteread exhibit at their leisure to discover how she uses photography to create her work. Families will have the opportunity to create their own photo collages and then turn them into a three dimensional sculpture.In the Koch Gallery, visitors will have the opportunity to sketch a self-portrait with help from local artists and MFA educators.Other events include a poetry slam by Ayisha Knight-Shaw and Boston University’s spoken-word poetry group, “Speak for Yourself” at 2:30 p.m. in the Remis Auditorium.Guided gallery tours will be offered at select times throughout the day. General tours will be conducted in English and Spanish. A tour in American Sign Language is available to those who are hearing impaired, and a tactile sculpture tour will be offered to those who are vision impaired.The original MFA opened its doors to the public on July 4, 1876, the nation’s centennial. It was located in Copley Square and housed 5,600 works of art. Over the years, the collection and number of visitors grew, and in 1909 the Museum moved to its current home on Huntington Avenue in Boston, which is readily accessible by subway. Today the MFA is one of the most comprehensive art museums in the world. Its collection includes nearly 450,000 works of art and is visited by more than a million people a year.The Museum of Fine Arts,465 Huntington Ave., is recognized for the quality and scope of its encyclopedic collection, which includes an estimated 450,000 objects. The Museum’s collection is made up of: Art of the Americas; Art of Europe; Contemporary Art; Art of Asia, Oceania, and Africa; Art of the Ancient World; Prints, Drawings, and Photographs; Textile and Fashion Arts; and Musical Instruments. Additional information is available at www.mfa.org or by calling 617-267-9300.