Orlando Museum Of Art Selects New Interim Leader Amid Staff Shuffle
The Orlando Museum of Art selects new interim leader amid staff shuffle. Cathryn Mattson is the new interim executive director and CEO of the Orlando Museum of Art. This signals a hopeful stabilization after the drama of the FBI raid due to its Basquiat show last year.
The Orlando Museum of Art has fought to recover its credibility after an investigation found that multiple works were forgeries and had been exhibited notwithstanding doubts about their authenticity. A week ago, a former auctioneer admitted to helping create and sell the works.
This statement made by Mattson was shared by the Orlando Museum of Art. “I am honored to accept this position and look forward to working with the staff and board to continue building on the strong legacy of the Museum. A major art museum is essential to a vibrant city, as it is a place where the community can come together, grow, create, and share experiences that inspire and bring joy. I am delighted to be able to serve this wonderful institution.”
Weathering The Storm At The Orlando Museum Of Art
Mattson joins the museum after a sequence of leadership overhauls. The previous museum director, Aaron De Groft, was released in June of last year by the OMA board of trustees just a few days after the FBI raid. An FBI affidavit revealed that the works had been at the center of a nine-year-long investigation into their genuineness and that the museum had been issued a subpoena before the opening of the exhibition “Heroes & Monsters” in February of last year. Numerous former trustees later claimed that De Groft and the previous board chair, Cynthia Brumback, withheld knowledge of the subpoena.
De Groft was traded for interim director Luder Whitlock. However, Whitlock quit after a few months and two days after Whitlock left, the board replaced Brumback as chair. In March of 2023, the longtime chief curator of the Orlando Museum of Art, Hansen Mulford, quietly retired after 42 years without display or even advance notice to staff, according to local sources.
Since The Raid On The Orlando Museum Of Art
Since the FBI raid, the museum has started several initiatives to rebuild trust with the surrounding community. The board of trustees employed the Orlando-based Akerman law firm to investigate the Basquiat issue and has been receiving recommendations based on the results of the probe for months.
In an interview toward the end of 2022, current board president Mark Elliott told the local news sources that the investigation’s findings would be made public, however, the information is yet to be shared.
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