Brady Lum, the former chief operating officer of the High Museum of Art, has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $600,000 from the nonprofit arts institution.
The 59-year-old resigned from the Atlanta museum in December after its parent organization, the Woodruff Arts Center, linked what it described as institutional “financial irregularities” to him. Federal prosecutors said in court filings submitted in April that Lum used museum money to buy personal items, including “luxury guitars” and “woodworking equipment,” during his nearly seven years at the institution.
According to the filings, Lum also exploited his position of authority to approve fraudulent reimbursement invoices and took additional steps to hide his personal purchases. Prosecutors said he obtained more than 700 reimbursements from the museum, most of them for purchases below $1,000.
Among the larger transactions cited by prosecutors, Lum allegedly sought reimbursement for a $9,147.87 purchase of personal guitar accessories by submitting a doctored invoice in 2024. On Monday, July 13, in Georgia federal district court, he pleaded guilty to theft from “programs receiving federal funds,” an offense that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
During Lum’s tenure, the museum received an $80,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to support research into “the social, emotional, intellectual, physical and spiritual effects of art museum visitation on diverse adult populations.” Under his plea agreement, Lum has agreed to pay full restitution to “all victims of the offense(s),” and his sentencing is set for November 2. The Woodruff Arts Center declined to comment on the case or on the impact of the stolen money, and Lum’s attorney has not yet responded to Hyperallergic’s request for comment.
