Basquiat Forger Arrested By FBI
The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Sunday, October 18, 2026


Basquiat Forger Arrested By FBI



NEW YORK.- New York artist Alfredo Martinez has been charged by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with attempting to deceive two art dealers by selling them $185,000 worth of fake drawings by the famed graffiti artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. Martinez, a 300-pound Puerto Rico native, is wellknown on the downtown alternative scene. He has also organized large group exhibitions in vacant industrial spaces, including "Playground of the Fearless" in Brooklyn in late 2001. The charges against Martinez, which landed him in Manhattan’s Metropolitan Correction Center on June 19, 2002, involve an alleged scheme to sell fake Basquiat drawings, accompanied by forged certificates of authenticity, to SoHo dealer Leo Malca and a second art dealer. Martinez’ whereabouts could not be determined, but it has been suggested that Martinez is a "con artist" in more ways than one, and would use his arrest to seek notoriety.



Today's News

October 18, 2026

MoMA debuts its first exhibition dedicated entirely to information design

Fondation Beyeler hosts European retrospective of Ruth Asawa to mark centennial

Zentrum Paul Klee presents Switzerland's first major survey on Roberto Burle Marx

The Met announces contemporary artists for The Genesis Facade Commission and The Great Hall in 2027

Palazzo Grassi to become permanent home of the Pinault Collection in March 2027

Sebastian Gladstone presents first Paris exhibition of late American painter Franne Davids

Alexander Berggruen presents 'Visual Weight', exploring compositional balance in abstraction

Lisson Gallery presents late works by Carmen Herrera spanning her final decade

MAXXI opens Sophie Calle's largest Italian retrospective alongside new permanent site installation

The Bowes Museum partners with MuMa Le Havre for landmark Impressionist survey

Miguel Chevalier brings digital nature to life at Museum de Fundatie

Armenian Museum of America strengthens leadership team with appointment of Sarah Hayes as Deputy Director

From Dada to Land Art: Group show surveys the art of walking from the 1960s to today

Raphaela Vogel channels punk rock energy into immersive survey at Z33

New works strengthen The Huntington's art collection

Louisiana Art & Science Museum celebrates C.C. Lockwood's lifelong connection to Louisiana's wild places

Whitney Museum to debut Operator's multimedia performance 'Act III' in November 2026

The Power Plant unveils fall 2026 exhibition season with focus on place, identity, and ecology

Frye Art Museum celebrates 75 years with five exhibitions

LAUNCH Gallery presents duo solo exhibitions by Cindy Craig and Leigh Salgado

Newly renovated County House in Trenčín hosts landmark exhibition on global crisis and solidarity

16th Gwangju Biennale features UNESCO Creative Cities Network survey on urban heritage

Taichung Art Museum presents landmark overseas solo exhibition by Daito Manabe




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 




Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)


Editor: Ofelia Zurbia Betancourt

Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez


Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
       
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful