Aaron De Groft, who came to central Florida to raise the profile of Orlando Museum of Art — but then embroiled the institution in an FBI fraud investigation over purported Basquiat paintings — has died.
An obituary for De Groft, still involved in three lawsuits arising from the Basquiat scandal, was submitted to the Orlando Sentinel by his wife, Kathryn Lee De Groft. It was published online Monday by the Neptune Society cremation provider and appeared in other news outlets in cities where he previously lived. Efforts to reach the family were unsuccessful, but his daughter posted a tribute on her Instagram page with photos of De Groft in his younger days with the simple message “rest in peace, dad.”
According to the obituary, De Groft died at age 59 on Jan. 18 after a brief illness. It did not provide additional details.
De Groft became director of the Orlando Museum of Art in 2021 and set out to bring more attention to the museum by programming exhibitions featuring big names in the art world. The museum soon was making headlines, but not in the way De Groft wanted.
One of his big-name exhibitions, titled “Heroes & Monsters,” promised to showcase newly discovered works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, an acclaimed contemporary artist who died in 1988.
“These are masterpieces,” De Groft told the Sentinel in a pre-exhibit interview in February 2022. “We couldn’t be more proud.”
But the art was seized from the museum’s walls four months later as part of an FBI fraud investigation, the ramifications of which are still being felt today. De Groft, along with the owners of the art, steadfastly maintained the paintings were authentic. A California auctioneer later admitted he painted some of the works that had been part of the exhibition.
De Groft, who was overseas on vacation during the FBI raid, was fired by the museum’s board after returning to the country. The museum later sued him, claiming he conspired with the owners of the works to raise their value and breached his fiduciary responsibility to the nonprofit. De Groft responded with a countersuit in which he strenuously denied the accusations and accused the museum of firing him illegally and orchestrating a campaign “to destroy him.”
Both suits are still pending. Orlando Museum of Art director Cathryn Mattson said Monday night she would be meeting with the museum’s board of directors and legal team to consider options. Florida’s “survival statute” means that lawsuits can continue to be prosecuted, even if one of the parties dies.
De Groft also was involved in a third legal action, brought by the companies that insured the discredited art. The Liberty Mutual and Great American insurance companies are asking for a judicial ruling to deny payment of the owners’ $19.7 million insurance claim.
The obituary provided by the family makes no mention of the Basquiat scandal, instead saying of De Groft’s time in Orlando: “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.”
A 1988 graduate of the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, De Groft played on the school’s baseball team. He later earned a master’s degree in art history from the University of South Carolina and a doctorate in art history from Florida State University.
Early in his career, he worked at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens in Jacksonville and the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota before returning to his alma mater. For 14 years, De Groft served as director of the Muscarelle Museum of Art at William & Mary, where he also led a study-aboard program in Florence, Italy.
In addition to his wife and daughter, he is survived by a son, his parents and a brother. A memorial service is planned for the spring in Williamsburg, and the family has requested in lieu of flowers that donations be made to the WJCC Schools Foundation, a charitable organization supporting Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools.
“His legacy lives on in the vibrant institutions he transformed and the countless lives enriched by his work,” stated the obituary provided by De Groft’s family.
When he filed his suit against the museum in November 2023, De Groft told the Sentinel he was “going to war to get my good name back, my professional standing and personal and professional exoneration.”
It was a stance he fiercely maintained.
“I have kept my head down,” he said, “and suffered slings and arrows and humiliations when I did nothing wrong.”
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