In Orlando, Florida, the Orlando Museum of Art has reached an agreement with the estate of its late former director to drop legal actions that stemmed from an FBI investigation into a collection of counterfeit paintings. These pieces, falsely credited to Jean-Michel Basquiat, were seized in 2022, leading to a legal dispute between the museum and Aaron De Groft, its former director, who passed away last month.
The museum announced on Tuesday that the resolution officially ends all legal conflicts with De Groft’s estate, following his death on January 18. The museum previously accused De Groft of neglecting his duty by endorsing the controversial exhibit, while De Groft argued that his dismissal was without cause.
The museum expressed optimism with the settlement, stating, “It is OMA’s sincere hope that this step will allow OMA to continue forward with its mission in partnership with its valued constituencies.” With this resolution, the museum aims to refocus on its goals and work collaboratively with its community.
De Groft had initially arranged for the museum to debut a collection of over 20 artworks, purportedly discovered in a storage unit many years after Basquiat’s death from a drug overdose in 1988. Despite ongoing doubts over the paintings’ authenticity, the situation escalated when the FBI intervened in 2022.
In a significant development in 2023, a former Los Angeles auctioneer, Michael Barzman, admitted to fabricating the artwork. Barzman agreed to plead guilty to charges of making false statements to federal authorities, confessing that he, along with a partner, was responsible for the creation of the fake Basquiat paintings.
