The Tamesis
The marketing executive behind the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s divisive rebranding campaign has resigned Philadelphia Inquirer Report.
Paul Dien, who joined the museum in 2023 as chief marketing officer under former museum director and CEO Sasha Suda, will leave the company on February 1, the museum confirmed. according to Philadelphia InquirerDien accepted a consulting position; the museum did not provide further details.
Dean served as vice president of development and partnerships for the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, where he oversaw the museum’s rebranding and updated visual identity. The institution, formerly known as the Philadelphia Museum of Art, announced its new name last October: the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The campaign included a website overhaul and logo redesign with custom typography. Ryan Moore, executive creative director and partner at Gretel, the branding and design studio that works with the museum, said the main goal of the campaign “is to ‘step down’ by putting the museum in dialogue with its community.”
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When the event debuted, Suda said she hoped the rebranding would boost attendance: “It will get more people involved and help us understand who we are more clearly.” Philadelphians knew the institution only as an “art museum,” but largely dismissed it. On social media, some compared the new logo to a football club, while others joked about the new abbreviation: “#phart museum? Are you kidding me!” Costume designer Rita Squitiere wrote on X: “We have no hesitation in calling it the Philadelphia Museum of Art…”
Several board members expressed support for the event amid public backlash. Yoram Wind, a museum trustee, said: “We are an amazing museum with amazing collections, amazing curators and amazing experiences, but it’s a real shame that the rebrand has been met with jokes and negative reactions.” Inquirer.
In November, a month after the rebrand, Sudha was relieved of her duties as director and CEO, three years into her five-year contract. philadelphia magazine She received the termination notice via an email that mentioned “with cause,” but the email reportedly did not specify what the reason was. The publication added that the board later met and “appeared to be informed of the exact reasons.” She has since filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the museum, which claims Suda misappropriated funds, a claim she denies. (In a very long feature, philadelphia magazine It also cast doubt on the suggestion that the rebranding led to Sudha’s dismissal. )
art news The museum has been contacted for comment.
