Rebrand 2.0: Philly art museum backtracks on new name
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Photo: Courtesy of the Philadelphia Art Museum
That didn't last long.
State of play: The board of trustees of Philly's largest and most prestigious art institution voted on Wednesday to nix last year's splashy renaming.
- ✅ In: Philadelphia Museum of Art
- 🚫 Out: Philadelphia Art Museum
Yes, but: The museum will retain the circular griffin logo and so-called brand identity that was introduced last year, per the board's news release.
- Visitors will see changes to the museum's branding in the coming weeks — both IRL and on its website.
- The museum's website, emails and social media pages will revert back to "philamuseum."
Cost: The price tag for the rebrand: $1 million, per the Inquirer.
- And the re-rebrand: $50,000, a museum spokesperson tells Axios.
Zoom in: A museum task force recommended the changes following a examination of the rebrand's rollout, including surveys of museum trustees and staff, per the board.
What they're saying: Returning to the original name "is an important gesture," Daniel Weiss, the new director and CEO of the museum, said in a news release.
- "We now have a system that our entire community can rally around — so we can dedicate ourselves to the important opportunities of our mission."
Context: The museum's retreat follows the firing of museum director Sasha Suda, who was sacked in November over allegations of theft.
- Suda, who was hired in 2022, and her team led the rebrand, which was unpopular with many Philadelphians.
- Plus: Paul Dien, the museum's head marketer, who oversaw the rebrand, resigned Feb. 1.
1 notable thing: The museum says it will no longer use the "PhAM" acronym, which was introduced as part of the rebrand.
- Yes, but: Does that mean people will stop calling the museum "PhART"? TBD.