ORLANDO MUSEUM OF ART

"Shut up. You took the money. Stop being holier than thou." Was this amateur tough-guy exchange between Dr. Aaron De Groft and Dr. Jordana Moore...

County, city and art-community leaders are calling for transparency after the Orlando Museum of Art came under fire from a recent raid by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

VIDEO: Orlando Museum of Art parts ways with CEO following raid of Basquiat exhibit According to a search warrant released by the FBI, they’re investigating allegations of possible wire fraud and conspiracy with regard to the art. (Christy Turner, WFTV.com/WFTV)ORLANDO, Fla. — The Director and CEO of the Orlando Museum of Art is out, effective immediately. READ: Orlando Museum of Art director defends authenticity of Basquiat paintingsThe museum is not under investigation and is said to have cooperated with the FBI’s request to turn over the “Heroes and Monsters” exhibit. However, FBI agents say they have reason to believe the artwork that was on display at the Orlando Museum of Art was fake. Video: ‘Quite disappointed’: Visitors react after FBI takes possession of art exhibit from Orlando museum (Angela Jacobs, WFTV.com)When questioned about the artwork in February, then Director and CEO Aaron De Groft stood by their processes.

The editor of Orlando Weekly graciously offered me this opportunity to present an open letter to the chairwoman of the Orlando Museum of Art, Ms....

The Orlando Museum of Art has parted ways with its CEO in the days after the FBI raided the Florida museum and seized more than two dozen paintings attributed to artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Director and CEO of the Orlando Museum of Art is out, effective immediately. The move comes less than a week after the FBI took possession of more than two-dozen paintings from the museum, after questions were raised about their authenticity. READ: Orlando Museum of Art director defends authenticity of Basquiat paintingsThe museum is not under investigation and is said to have cooperated with the FBI’s request to turn over the artwork. Video: ‘Quite disappointed’: Visitors react after FBI takes possession of art exhibit from Orlando museum (Angela Jacobs, WFTV.com)READ: OnePulse hires new executive director, plans to buy Pulse site from ownerOrlando Museum of Art Board of Trustees Chair Cynthia Brumback released a statement Friday in response to the controversy. The FBI hasn’t commented on the case except to say that “court-authorized activity” was conducted at the museum and directed all questioning to their Los Angeles office.

Following a raid by the FBI where investigators seized the Orlando Museum of Art’s Basquiat exhibit, museum officials have announced a change in leadership.

"Shut up. You took the money. Stop being holier than thou.”

Video: ‘Quite disappointed’: Visitors react after FBI takes possession of art exhibit from Orlando museum (Angela Jacobs, WFTV.com)ORLANDO, Fla. — The FBI swooped in on the Orlando Museum of Art on Friday and took possession of a popular collection of paintings. READ: FBI takes possession of art exhibit from Orlando Museum of ArtVisitors at the Orlando Museum of Art were frustrated on Friday. READ: Orlando Museum of Art director defends authenticity of Basquiat paintingsExpand Autoplay Image 1 of 35 Orlando Museum of Art new exhibition (WFTV.com News Staff)The 25 paintings, billed as Basquiat’s originals, had been found in a storage locker with an estimated value of $100 million. FBI takes possession of art exhibit from Orlando museum (Orlando Museum of Art)A spokesperson with the museum said it complied with the FBI’s request to turn over the work. The FBI told us that “court-authorized activity” was conducted at the museum and questioning should be directed to the FBI Los Angeles office.

According to a search warrant, federal art crimes investigators have been looking into the 25 paintings since shortly after their discovery in 2012.

Basquiat Art Investigation The exterior of the Orlando Museum of Art is seen where artist Jean-Michel Basquiat paintings were on display, Thursday, June 2, 2022, in Orlando, Fla. On Friday, June 24, 2022, the FBI raided the art museum and seized more than two dozen paintings attributed to Basquiat following questions about their authenticity. (AP Photo/John Raoux) (John Raoux)The FBI raided a Florida art museum on Friday and seized more than two dozen paintings attributed to artist Jean-Michel Basquiat following questions about their authenticity. The controversy gained more attention shortly after the Orlando exhibit opened in February. Orlando Museum of Art director Aaron De Groft has repeatedly insisted that the art is legitimate. The exhibit was originally publicized to run through June 2023 in Orlando, the museum later announced it was ending next week.

The FBI raided a Florida art museum on Friday and seized more than two dozen paintings attributed to artist Jean-Michel Basquiat following questions about their authenticity.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation raided the Orlando Museum of Art early Friday, according to reports.

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Federal Bureau of Investigation took possession of an art exhibit from the Orlando Museum of Art on Friday. The Orlando Museum of Art told Channel 9 that it “complied with a request from the FBI for access to the Heroes and Monsters exhibit.”Controversy has swirled over the authenticity of the work. The paintings, which were found in the storage locker of a television writer, are said to be worth about $100 million. The director of OMA, Aaron De Groft, said that before the paintings came to the museum, they were scrutinized and authenticated as the works of Basquiat. Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 35 Orlando Museum of Art new exhibition (WFTV.com News Staff)READ: See the new 35-foot-tall sculpture unveiled today along I-4 near downtown OrlandoA spokesperson with the museum said that the exhibit is now in the FBI’s possession.

FBI agents raided Orlando Museum of Art early Friday, seizing over two dozen paintings that made up the controversial Heroes & Monsters: Jean-Michel Basquiat, The...

The Orlando Museum of Art's Jean-Michel Basquiat exhibit has been a focus of nationwide fascination since it was announced. The suddenly uncovered paintings were a...

In 2012, the Orlando Museum of Art presented an exhibition of Orlando photographer Jimm Roberts' portraits of writers and artists in Florida — some Sunshine...

Premieres Wednesday: 365 Days: This Day — The second installment in Poland's answer to the Fifty Shades franchise offers more of the sexual violence and...

Celebrate spring at the Orlando Museum of Art this week with Art in Bloom, a festival of fine arts and flowers.

The Orlando Museum of Art has called off their plans to expand into a downtown luxury apartment tower. OMA announced the planned expansion last year,...

ORLANDO, Fla. — People are packing in to see the Orlando Museum of Art’s new Jean-Michel Basquiat exhibit, as controversy swirls over the authenticity of the work. The paintings, which were found in the storage locker of a television writer, are said to be worth about $100 million. But the director of OMA, Aaron De Groft, said before the paintings came to the museum they were scrutinized and authenticated as the works of Basquiat. There is no logo on this box.”De Groft said the museum stands behind the authenticity of the art. READ: Long-dead Florida deputy named as ‘only probable’ killer of 11-year-old girl slain in 1983“We stand by our industrial, rigorous academic process,” he said.

Orlando Museum of Art's most-recent exhibit is making headlines for all the wrong reasons. The "Heroes & Monsters" exhibit showcasing 25 never-before-seen paintings by Jean-Michel...

If you're going to get scooped, it eases the blow somewhat for it to be the New York Times that does it. Brett Sokol of the...

The Orlando Museum of Art will open a new exhibit this weekend. Photos: Orlando Museum of Art’s new exhibition takes you back to the 1980sExpand Autoplay Image 1 of 35 Orlando Museum of Art new exhibition (WFTV.com News Staff)Organizers said the collection will feature a rare group of paintings from a private collection that are being shown for the first time at the Orlando Museum of Art. Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras celebration is back this weekend with live concerts, parades and great food from around the world. Musical legends, global superstars and Grammy-nominated DJs are some of the acts you’ll be able to see as part of Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras celebration. READ: Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras celebration 2022 begins this weekendOn Saturday, Diana Ross will perform during the celebration.

Families can enjoy free fun at the Orlando Museum of Art this weekend.

The Orlando Museum of Art will be hosting various Jean-Michel Basquiat events on Feb. 11-13 to celebrate Black History Month. On Feb. 11 from 8...

Our editors' selections of the best stuff to do this week. Be sure to double-check with the venue before you set out to any of...

The annual Festival of Trees is making its return to the Orlando Museum of Art this weekend.

Orlando Museum of Art's planned downtown location isn't going to rest on the laurels of the nearly 100-year-old institution. Per a new report from GrowthSpotter,...

If you have a hankering to get over to Orlando Museum of Art to check out either the Louis Dewis exhibit or any of the...

Orlando Museum of Art's annual exhibition and spotlight on the most promising and challenging new art (and artists) in Florida — the Florida Prize in Contemporary Art — is...

Much like his artwork, Filipino American and Orlando-based artist Jefrë is larger than life.

The Orlando Museum of Art plans to open a second campus downtown. Quickly approaching it's hundredth year, the venerable art institution will take a space...

Knowles Memorial Chapel, 1000 Holt, Ave., Winter Park, bachfestivalflorida.orgThursday-Sunday, March 25-28Art in Bloom Festival of Fine Arts & FlowersShowcase combining current exhibits with fresh flower arrangements. Orlando Museum of Art, 2416 N. Mills Ave., omart.orgSaturday, March 27Sip Into SpringTim's Wine Market has curated a dazzlingly large array of wines for nearly 20 vendors in the Ivanhoe area. Historic Downtown Sanford, Second Street and Sanford Avenue, Sanford, pintsandpaws.comVirtual Winter Park Book FestivalA daylong, virtual celebration of the written word. Winter Park Playhouse, 711-C Orange Ave., Winter Park, winterparkplayhouse.orgMarch 26-28Nunsense: A-Men! Crealdé School of Art, 600 St. Andrews Blvd., Winter Park, crealde.orgThrough May 28Pushing the Envelope: Mail Art From the Archives of American ArtInside the hidden DIY world of international "correspondence" art through several decades.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Kenya Robinson remembers working on a marketing campaign and searching for a stock image of a Black woman wrapping her hands for kickboxing. With over 18,000 stock photos coming up in her search, she couldn’t find the look she needed. Now she’s on a mission to restock image databases with photos of visibly Black individuals with BLIXEL:(Re)stock Image Project. “The whole idea is to address this whole notion of the stock image and kind of the role that it plays and how we might restock that,” she said. The dream is to one day release a stock image service for companies to subscribe to, and to pay her volunteers and photographers.

Orlando Museum of Art, 2416 N. Mills Ave., omart.orgFront Porch Series featuring Cat Ridgeway & the TouristsSinger/songwriter dynamo Ridgeway and her compatriots headline the Plaza Live's outdoor stage. Will's Pub, 1042 N. Mills Ave., willspub.orgFrontyard Festival: DeadpoolThe 2016 Ryan Reynolds vehicle based on Deadpool, Marvel Comics' "Merc With a Mouth." Mead Botanical Garden, 1300 S. Denning Drive, Winter Park, meadgarden.orgTHROUGH MARCH 14End of the RainbowExperience Judy Garland in the midst of one of her iconic comebacks in Peter Quilter's Tony-nominated Broadway play. Athens Theatre, 124 E. Florida Ave., DeLand, athensdeland.comclick to enlarge Art by Robert Reedy'San Pedro No. Cornell Fine Arts Museum, 1000 Holt Ave., Winter Park, rollins.edu/cfamTHROUGH APRIL 11Robert Reedy: RevivalAn exhibition of painting, sculpture, ceramics, metalwork and collage from this unique Orlando artist.

“I looked completely different because they don’t know how to shoot and film women of color, they don’t know how to shoot brown bodies,” she said. The professional performer says that experience is just one of many barriers Black women have to break through to pursue a career in the arts. From sharing stories with other women online about washed-out headshots, having to dye dance tights to match one’s skin tone, and discussing hairstyles fit for stage lights came a new community that has evolved today to become the nonprofit Black Theatre Girl Magic. “We started in 2017 as just a small network for Black and brown performing women in Central Florida. Black Theater Girl Magic (Copyright 2020 by CNN Newsource - All rights reserved.)

Plaza Live, 425 N. Bumby Ave., plazaliveorlando.orgThursday, Jan. 28Jon Roniger & the Good for Nothin' BandLocal blues-rockers in the "house." Orlando Museum of Art, 2416 N. Mills Ave., omart.orgFriday, Jan. 29–Sunday, Jan. 31Hansel & GretelOrlando Opera returns to the stage to perform Engelbert Humperdinck's musical take on the classic children's story. Winter Park Playhouse, 711 Orange Ave., Winter Park, winterparkplayhouse.orgThrough Feb. 7Jurassic QuestAs luck would have it, dinosaurs of all sorts will also take over the parking lots of the Convention Center. Orlando Museum of Art, 2416 N. Mills Ave., omart.orgThrough Feb. 5But Before Bone Is SkinGroup art show based around the themes explored in the novel Silver Sparrow. Lil Indies, 1036 N. Mills Ave., willspub.orgThrough Feb. 28New WildGroup exhibition from new, young Orlando-based arts collective the Solution.

Orlando Museum of Art, 2416 N. Mills Ave., omart.orgThursday, Jan. 14Aphrodite and the Lure of AntiquityThis Zoom lecture by interdisciplinary conceptual artist Patricia Cronin is sponsored by Downtown Arts District and the Orlando Science Center. Dr. Phillips Center, 445 S. Magnolia Ave., drphillipscenter.orgSaturday, Jan. 16Book Boot Camp: How to Write a Novel FastAuthor Valerie Valdes shares tips on how to finish your own great American novel in this online class. Dr. Phillips Center, 445 S. Magnolia Ave., drphillipscenter.orgFrontyard Festival: Tye TribbettThe "Elvis of Gospel" graces Orlando with his presence. Dr. Phillips Center, 445 S. Magnolia Ave., drphillipscenter.orgVegan OutletMonthly plant-based outdoor market. Dr. Phillips Center, 445 S. Magnolia Ave., drphillipscenter.orgMonday, Jan. 18Thomas Milovac EnsembleLocal free jazz improv group par excellence.

Enzian Theater, 1300 S. Orlando Ave., Maitland, enzian.orgThursday, Dec. 17Downtown Holiday Bicycle RideTen miles with a brewery pit stop. Walt Disney Theater, Dr. Phillips Center, 445 S. Magnolia Ave., drphillipscenter.orgFriday, Dec. 18Bad Santa & the Angry Elves8 p.m., $5-$10. Walt Disney Theater, Dr. Phillips Center, 445 S. Magnolia Ave., drphillipscenter.orgFriday-Tuesday, Dec. 18-23The Laura Hodos Holiday CabaretTables starting at $30. Enzian Theater, 1300 S. Orlando Ave., Maitland, enzian.orgWinter Park Holiday Boat ParadeEven boats get in the Christmas spirit, always a visual delight. Harry P. Leu Gardens, 1920 N. Forest Ave., dazzlingorlando.comThrough Dec. 20:Ghostlight, a Christmas TaleA new take on Dickens' classic holiday tale.

click to enlarge Photo courtesy OMABisa Butler, 'Wangari Maathai', 2020, quilted wax print fabricclick to enlarge Photo courtesy OMAKyle Meyer, 'Unidentified 105a,' 2019, archival pigment print hand-woven with wax print fabricCurrently on display at the Orlando Museum of Art , the group exhibitionof contemporary American artists involves some heavy (and familiar, to OMA-goers) names with a focus on issues of identity, inclusion, activism and engagement.Artists represented ininclude Nick Cave – you’ll get another chance to scope out his– along with Therman Statom, Bisa Butler, Kyle Meyer and Kerry James Marshall.You’ll see glass installations, woodcuts, and even a quilted portrait by Butler of activist Wangari Maathai (pictured above) that made the cover of Time magazine will be up at OMA through May 2, 2021 and should not be missed. Book your advance timed ticket here

The female perspective and viewpoint is often underrepresentedand undervalued in the art world. Shifting the focus with an event that we hope will spotlight femininity in all its forms not just the flowing-haired damsels and peaced-out earth mamas we might expect the Orlando Museum of Art presents the latest installment of their monthly 1st Thursdays party.Local artists showcase theirin interpretations of feminine energy presented in a variety of media. There will be a wine and beer cash bar, so you can relax to live music from Midnight Mayhem as you check out the art. Our small but mighty local team works tirelessly to bring you high-quality, uncensored news and cultural coverage of Central Florida. Whether it's a one-time acknowledgement of this article or an ongoing pledge, your support helps keep Orlandos true free press

click to enlarge Photo via Enzian Theaterclick to enlarge Photo via Orlando Museum of ArtThe Orlando Museum of Art will host Jen Vargas's FilmSlam starting in January. January will mark a new beginning for Orlandos film slam programs both of them.The Enzian Theater will continue its slam (a showcase and competition for student, independent, low-budget and no-budget short movies from Florida filmmakers) on January 19, but it will now be known as Central Florida Film Slam (CFFS). In addition, the Enzian has formed a CFFS advisory board that will include nearly a dozen industry professionals, including former Florida Film Festival programming coordinator Clementine Leger.Perhaps the biggest change is that one film from among the six monthly winners will now automatically be accepted into the Florida Film Festival. The fact that a film can now move directly from CFFS to the Florida Film Festivals Florida Shorts program is huge. Each months audience-vote winner will win an automatic screening during the 15th annual Central Florida Film Festival, a cool trophy and other opportunities to screen with our local film-festival partners!For more information about the Enzians slam, visit Enzian.org .

Some institutions are allowing up to three guests.We are excited to team up with Orange County Library System on a program that opens up a world of possibilities, said Glen Gentele, director and CEO of Orlando Museum of Art. Simply put: The Local Wanderer initiative provides more people in our community a direct path to the arts.Culture pass programs are intended to eliminate financial barriers preventing people from experiencing local cultural opportunities. Local Wanderer will provide Orange County families a means of entry to the world-class institutions that call Central Florida home.We can't stop staring at the the new graphics for the program. To create a hyperlocal feel for Local Wanderer, Orange County Library System turned to Sean Walsh, an Orlando based illustrator and designer who runs Secret Society Goods. For more details about Local Wanderer, visit ocls.info/localwanderer