A Petition to the Board of Trustees of the Orlando Museum of Art:

For nearly two years, our community has patiently waited for answers from the leadership of the Orlando Museum of Art regarding the exhibition “Heroes and Monsters”, which opened in February 2022.  After the FBI raided the museum and revealed the existence of an ongoing investigation into the fake paintings, the community was promised transparency regarding these events and a thorough investigation by an impartial third party. (A)

And so we have waited.  In the almost 18 months since, we have witnessed the leadership’s continued efforts to eliminate anyone who attempts to do what they should have done all along: do right by the Museum and root out corruption and incompetence (B). There have been people who, within the Board of Trustees and the institution itself, have long advocated for transparency, but have been repeatedly shut down and threatened. These actions by the leadership have resulted in OMA loosing almost all of its former donors, who refuse to support the institution due to the lack of transparency and good governance. (C)

At the moment when it was crucial for the Board of Trustees to rely on the counsel of an experienced executive with a proven track record in the arts and nonprofit management, it inexplicably fired its widely respected interim director, Dr. Luder Whitlock (D).  Instead of releasing the results of the third party investigation and waiting for the FBI to file charges, the board initiated an ill-advised civil lawsuit against its former Executive Director and the owners of the fraudulent paintings (E).  Could this end in a confidential settlement, where the museum would be prevented from disclosing any information regarding the Basquiat fiasco? (F).   Litigation is known to be costly; it would come as no surprise if, due to the fees incurred in the pursuit of this lawsuit, OMA  were to become insolvent and shut down. (G)

The media has reported offers of help from several philanthropists, which have been rejected by the museum.  All of these offers have one thing in common:  the immediate resignation of the Board of Trustees. So let’s take them up their offer.  

To live and thrive, institutions depend on the public trust. With the goal of restoring the reputation of the Orlando Museum of Art, the supporters of this petition request:

1. The immediate resignation of the members of OMA’s Board of Trustees,
2. The immediate resignation of OMA’s Executive Director,
3. The reinstatement of Dr. Luder Whitlock as Interim Executive Director of OMA,
4. The release of the Task Force investigation.

This is a petition by Save OMA, a community group whose goal is to restore transparency and good governance to the Orlando Museum of Art.

Sources: 

A.  https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2023/04/12/basquiat-faker-admits-crime-orlando-museum-of-art-owes-answers-commentary/

B.  https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/29/arts/design/fbi-basquiat-paintings-orlando-museum.html

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2022/06/24/fbi-seizes-disputed-basquiat-exhibit-at-orlando-museum-of-art/

https://www.orlandoweekly.com/news/op-ed-an-open-letter-to-the-chairwoman-of-the-orlando-museum-of-art-board-of-trustees-regarding-their-exhibition-of-fake-basquiat-works-31921803 

C.  https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2022/08/26/after-fbi-basquiat-scandal-orlando-museum-of-art-is-still-short-on-progress-transparency-commentary/

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/12/arts/design/basquiat-raid-orlando-museum-rollins.html

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2022/08/24/orlando-museum-of-art-interim-director-resigns-trustees-also-leave/

D. https://hyperallergic.com/756497/orlando-museum-leaders-resign-amid-fake-basquiats-scandal/

E. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2023/08/16/orlando-museum-of-art-lawsuit-basquiat-art/

F.  https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2023/11/14/orlando-museum-of-art-lawsuit-negotiations/

G.  https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/12/arts/design/basquiat-raid-orlando-museum-rollins.html

https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/590910352/202310939349301341/full

https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/590910352/202310939349301341/full