The Philadelphia Museum of Art has officially reverted back to its original name after a controversial rebrand as the Philadelphia Art Museum (PhAM) just five months ago. This decision comes following the resignation of Paul Dien, the former chief marketing officer who oversaw the museum’s identity shift. The new Director and CEO, Daniel Weiss, conducted a survey among various constituents, including museum trustees, staff, members, and local residents, to gauge their opinions on the name change.
The survey results revealed that the majority of respondents did not approve of the new title, with many expressing confusion and dissatisfaction with the changed URL and brand assets. Weiss explained that the negative feedback from trustees and staff, as well as the confusion among members, played a significant role in the decision to revert back to the original name, Philadelphia Museum of Art, which the institution had carried for 87 years.
Weiss emphasized that while refreshing a brand is not necessarily a bad thing, the decision to rename an organization with such a prestigious reputation did not hold up to scrutiny. He noted that people are proud of the Philadelphia Museum of Art title and saw no good reason to change it. However, the museum will retain the updated griffin logo, which was generally well-received in the survey.
The museum will soon switch back to its original “philamuseum” URL and update its social media handles to reflect the name change. This decision comes amidst a legal dispute between the museum and its former director and CEO, Sasha Suda, who was ousted last November and has since filed a complaint alleging wrongful termination. The museum, in turn, has accused Suda of misappropriating funds to increase her own salary.
In a previous interview with WHYY News, Suda had stated that the renaming was a way to officially acknowledge how locals and visitors colloquially referred to the museum. Despite the controversy surrounding the rebrand, the Philadelphia Museum of Art is now focused on moving forward with its original name and updated logo while navigating the ongoing legal challenges.
