Aaron De Groft, the former director of the Orlando Museum of Art and subject of scandal and FBI investigation over fraudulent Jean-Michel Basquiat artworks, has died, according to an obituary written by his family and published in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Per the obituary, he passed away at age 59 on Jan. 18, after a brief illness.
De Groft was hired as director of the Orlando Museum of Art in 2021. The following year, he faced controversy after introducing a major exhibit that he claimed comprised a tranche of lost paintings by Basquiat.
Heroes & Monsters: Jean-Michel Basquiat, The Thaddeus Mumford Jr. Venice Collection opened to a positive reception in February 2022, but almost immediately became the subject of local scorn when the New York Times ran an article calling into doubt the provenance of the works in the exhibit, and revealed to the wider world a federal investigation into the works and their owners. De Groft insisted that the works were legitimate.
The FBI conducted a raid on the museum in June and confiscated the majority of the exhibition. Days later, De Groft was ousted from his role. The museum was also placed on probation by the American Alliance of Museums. Throughout, De Groft remained defiantly adamant that the works were not fakes.
In 2023, the museum sued the former director for alleged fraud in authenticity and origin of the pieces, claiming De Groft aimed to profit off the fake exhibit.
It also said De Groft claimed the owners of the paintings promised him a cut of the proceeds ahead of what they anticipated to be a multimillion-dollar sale of the artworks.
The former director countersued the museum, claiming OMA’s chairperson and lawyers retained by the museum signed off on the exhibit of 25 “unseen” Basquiat paintings even after the FBI subpoenaed records relating to the exhibit in 2021. De Groft’s suit claimed wrongful termination on defamation on the part of OMA.
De Groft is still named in three lawsuits stemming from the saga. His obituary includes no mention of the scandal or the lawsuits.
“As the head of the Orlando Museum of Art, De Groft worked tirelessly to expand the museum’s reach and inclusivity. He championed diverse exhibitions, broadened membership, and advocated for improved employee benefits and wages, all while maintaining his focus on the arts as a force for education and community connection,” it reads.
He previously worked at the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens in Jacksonville, the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, and the Muscarelle Museum of Art at William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.
He is survived by his wife, Lee, and children Graham and Ellie De Groft; parents Mary Ellen and Herb De Groft; and brother Jason De Groft.
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