IS IT REALLY JUST ALL ABOUT THE BENJAMINS? Orlando Sentinel Weighed In On OMA Basquiat Authenticity “Questions”, While Museum Board Chair Airily Dismissed Doubts As “Thoughts People Have”
Brumback said she had not spoken with officials at other institutions about the exhibition, and the Orlando museum remains firmly behind both the exhibition and director Aaron De Groft, who brought the works to Orlando.
“Our goal is to make sure the museum follows industry standards for any exhibit, and this was not different,” she said. “We are very proud of Aaron as our museum director. When we hired him, we were thrilled that he brought such a diverse background to this role. We support him.”
Orlando Sentinel, March 27, 2022
The Orlando Sentinel published a news story yesterday examining lingering (and unanswered) questions about the authenticity of the Orlando Museum of Art’s Jean-Michel Basquiat exhibition. Matthew Palm, the Sentinel’s arts reporter, included my coverage here on Medium in the report. I appreciate the exposure.
Palm noted my “extensive documentation”, and revelations about the names and criminal histories of “key people involved in promoting the artworks”.
However, I’m not just lobbing incendiary posts about the true identities and criminal histories of the men described in the New York Times, and other media reports, as a “Massachusetts treasure hunter” (Force) and his “financial backer” (Mangan).
I provided the stunning information to the Museum’s department heads, in two emails, which were published right here on Medium.
On February 18, 2022, I sent an email to Joann Walfish, the Chief Financial Officer of the Orlando Museum of Art detailing the preliminary results of my investigation into the true identities of the men described in the New York Times, and other media reports, as a “Massachusetts treasure hunter” and his “financial backer”.
On February 21, 2022, I published the email header and its contents here on Medium.
Two days later, on February 23, 2022, I followed up, resending the email to Walfish, and copying Museum department heads: Aaron De Groft (Director & CEO), Hansen Mulford (Chief Curator), Arielle-Christine Study (Director of Development & Corporate Relations), Jane Ferry (Curator of Education), Emilia Bourmas-Fry (Director of Marketing and Communications) and Stu Worobetz (Chief of Operations).
No department head responded, including Museum spokeswoman Emilia Bourmas-Fry, who burbled on in the Sentinel report about the145% jump in gift shop sales over 2021.
Bourmas-Fry was one of seven OMA department heads who received my February 23 follow-up email.
I’m still waiting for answers.
