The Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) has received the Helen Frankenthaler, Keith ·More than 300 works by artists including Keith Haring and David Hockney.
The “transformative gift,” as the institution described it in an April 4 statement, comes in conjunction with the museum’s 2022 exhibition of some of the works believed to be by Jean-Michel Basquiat. It comes after a heated scandal over previously unpublished paintings by Michel Basquiat, which were proven to be fakes.The infamous show is called heroes and monsters, The work was only on display for four months before the FBI raided the Florida museum and confiscated all 25 works. The fallout was immediate: The institution’s board chairman resigned, and OMA fired and sued its director, whom the museum claimed was part of the conspiracy.
Cottrell and Lovett’s gift features works by LGBTQ+ and New York-based artists, including works by notable 20th century and contemporary figures such as Deborah Cass, Kwame Brathwaite and Robert Mapplethorpe work. OMA hosted exhibitions centered on the Cottrell-Lovett Collection in 2004 and 2016, and the collectors have maintained a collaborative relationship with the museum over the past two decades.
with allergy, Describing the scandal as “a bump in the road,” Lovett emphasized the institution’s educational programs and credited the experience of curating and installing his own collection at OMA two decades ago with sharpening his appreciation for art acquisition. .
When the Pulse nightclub tragedy occurred in 2016, Lovett and Cottrell were organizing a second exhibition at the museum. Lovett said he asked the institution to shift the exhibit toward gay identity and homophobia, and the museum overwhelmingly agreed.
“So we think this is an extraordinary institution,” Lovett said. “We are already talking about [donating to OMA] It’s been a long time coming, but after the scandal, we thought it would be helpful to the museum. ”
Last year, collectors also pledged to donate 200 works of art to New York University’s revamped Gray Art Museum, mostly works by artists from downtown New York in the 1980s.
“We are honored [Cottrell and Lovett] Museum spokesperson Maureen Walsh told us they entrusted our museum with this wonderful collection because they have so many options to choose from. allergic. “It reflects the confidence that Dr. Cottrell and Mr. Lovett have in the museum, exhibitions and educational programs.”
The Basquiat scandal has cast a pall over OMA’s reputation. In addition to widespread media coverage, the museum was also put on trial by the accreditation group the American Alliance of Museums.The FBI began investigating the works Heroes and Monsters They emerged in 2012 and issued a subpoena to OMA in 2021, requesting records related to the paintings. Still, the institution moved forward with the exhibition.
According to the story attached to the fakes, the long-lost masterpieces were stored in a Hollywood screenwriter’s Los Angeles storage unit, where they remained for decades before being auctioned off in 2012. Numerous inconsistencies emerged, including among FedEx designers who said the logo on the cardboard backing was not designed until six years after Basquiat’s death.
After the FBI raid, the museum quickly fired its director, Aaron DeGroft, who had been a staunch advocate for the paintings’ authenticity. A year later, OMA sued de Groft, claiming he planned to take a cut of the profits from the paintings’ eventual sales. The former director vehemently denied the claims and launched a countersuit against OMA late last year.
