Four months after announcing a snazzy rebrand from the Philadelphia Museum of Art to the Philadelphia Art Museum, the institution announced that it is reversing course. As of Wednesday afternoon, the museum will again be known by its longtime moniker.
In a press release, the museum said that it would retain its new griffin logo and brand identity unveiled in October while also returning to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The decision, it said, reflects “the recommendations of an interdisciplinary task force of museum trustees and staff, which examined the process and rollout of the rebrand, and commissioned surveys of museum staff, trustees, members, and the Philadelphia-area public.”
The museum’s board of directors voted unanimously in favor of the decision in a special meeting convened Wednesday.
“An essential part of brand stewardship is innovating, and also listening,” said Daniel Weiss, the director and CEO of the institution. “The new logo, with the griffin, is a bold, yet historical approach that we are heartened to see is being embraced by the public. Returning to the name that is beloved by staff, trustees, and members is an important gesture. We now have a system that our entire community can rally around—so we can dedicate ourselves to the important opportunities of our mission.”
The October rebrand ends its short life as one of the most embarrassing rollouts by a museum in recent memory. The new name was widely mocked in Philadelphia, with many going so far as to refer to the newly christened museum as PhArt. Trustees were also unhappy with the rebrand, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported in November; some said that it was launched without final board approval.
Shortly after the unveiling, the museum fired then-director and CEO Sasha Suda for “cause,” though she was not provided with further details. She has since sued the museum for wrongful termination, unfair treatment, and abuse, alleging that board members falsely accused her of “misusing Museum funds for personal gain,” according to a complaint.
In a motion to compel arbitration filed in late November, the museum claimed that Suda approved salary increases for herself on multiple occasions without board approval, and that it had convened a special board committee to investigate. “After reviewing the evidence and evaluating their fiduciary duties to the Museum, the Executive Committee determined that the evidence overwhelmingly established that Suda violated her Agreement by misappropriating Museum funds and engaging in repeated acts of dishonesty,” the motion states.
Earlier this week, a Pennsylvania judge ruled in favor of the museum to send Suda’s case to an arbitration court.
