Aaron De Groft, who came to central Florida to raise the profile of the Orlando Museum of Art but later became involved in an FBI fraud analysis over alleged Basquiat drawings, has passed away.
His partner, Kathryn Lee De Groft, submitted an article to the Orlando Sentinel because he is still a defendant in three Basquiat-related claims. The , a provider of death for the Neptune Society, published it internet on Monday, and it also appeared in various news outlets in his hometown. Although efforts to reach the home were fruitless, his daughter posted a memorial on her Instagram page with images of De Groft in his younger days with the tagline “rest in harmony, father.”
According to the article, De Groft died at period 59 on Jan. 18 after a short illness. It did no provide further details.
De Groft founded the Orlando Museum of Art in 2021 and began promoting the gallery through programming exhibits showcasing famous artists. The museum quickly was making stories, but not in the manner De Groft wanted.
One of his big-name events, titled” Champions &, Monsters”, promised to display newly discovered runs by Jean-Michel Basquiat, an praised fashionable artist who died in 1988.
” These are treasures”, De Groft told the Sentinel in a pre-exhibit meeting in February 2022. ” We couldn’t be more proud”.
But the , craft was seized from the monument’s walls , four months later as part of an FBI scam investigation, the consequences of which are still being felt today. De Groft, along with the masters of the art, resolutely maintained the drawings were true. Eventually, a California seller acknowledged that he had painted some of the artworks that had been displayed at the time of the show.
De Groft, who was abroad on holiday during the FBI attack, was fired by the museum’s table after returning to the region. Later, the gallery sued him, alleging that he conspired with the works ‘ owners to increase their value and omitted a duty of moral duty to the organization. De Groft responded with a counterclaim in which he vehemently refuted the allegations and claimed that the gallery had planned to fire him without authorization and that he had launched a “destroy him” plan.
Both matches are also pending. Cathryn Mattson, chairman of the Orlando Museum of Art, announced Monday night that she would meet with the gallery’s board of directors and legal team to discuss options. Florida’s” life act” means that complaints can continue to be prosecuted, even if one of the events dies.
De Groft even participated in a second legal action brought by the businesses that provided the dismissed art. The masters ‘$ 19.7 million healthcare claim will be denied by the Liberty Mutual and Great American insurance companies.
The article provided by the home makes no mention of the Basquiat incident, rather saying of De Groft’s day in Orlando:” He championed different exhibitions, broadened account, 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 doctorate in art history from Florida State University and a master’s degree in art history from the University of South Carolina.
Before returning to his alma mater, he spent time at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens in Jacksonville and the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota. 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. Williamsburg’s family has requested that donations be made to the WJCC Schools Foundation, a charitable organization that supports Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools, for a memorial service that will take place in the spring.
His legacy is still present in the vibrant institutions he transformed and the many lives his contributions have made,” according to De Groft’s family’s obituary.
De Groft stated to the Sentinel that he was “going to war” in November 2023 when he sued the museum. He claimed to do so to recover my good name, 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”.
___
© 2025 Orlando Sentinel
Distributed by , Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
