Philadelphia Museum of Art reverts to prior name, keeps some new branding elements
Philadelphia's largest art museum is reclaiming its earlier name — Philadelphia Museum of Art — after a brief change.
The museum's board of trustees voted unanimously Wednesday to change the name back to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the museum announced.
It was briefly known as the Philadelphia Art Museum since the museum launched new branding last year.
The museum will keep the griffin logo and other elements that were part of the rebrand, according to an announcement from the museum Wednesday afternoon.
Changes will be rolled out gradually over the next few weeks, the museum said. An updated griffin logo will use the "Philadelphia Museum of Art" name. The museum's URL, its email addresses and the museum's social media handles will return to "philamuseum." The museum's handle on Instagram was changed to "visitpham," but the museum says it will no longer use that acronym.
The museum shared the new Griffin logo on Instagram Wednesday.
"An essential part of brand stewardship is innovating, and also listening. ... Returning to the name that is beloved by staff, trustees, and members is an important gesture," Daniel Weiss, the museum's director and CEO, said in the statement.
The museum in November announced that Weiss, a Johns Hopkins University professor and executive and former president and CEO of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, would take over as director and CEO in December.
The museum parted ways with its former leader, Sasha Suda, last fall, weeks after unveiling the name change and new branding.
The reversal comes ahead of a big year in Philadelphia, with several events planned for the city's celebration of America's 250th anniversary, including a sports exhibit planned at the art museum that will include "Rocky," which turns 50 in 2026.
The museum first opened in 1876 as the Pennsylvania Museum and School of Industrial Art and later changed its name to the Philadelphia Museum of Art in May 1938.
The Philadelphia Art Museum rebrand was developed with Gretel, a national branding and strategy company.
