trump kennedy center closure 2743352

President Donald Trump has initiated a controversial overhaul of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., renaming it the 'Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts' and appointing himself chairman. Following the dismissal of long-time president Deborah Rutter and the installation of a board led by Richard Grenell, the institution has pivoted toward conservative programming, leading to a 93% to 57% drop in ticket sales and high-profile boycotts from artists like Philip Glass. The center is now slated for a two-year closure starting after July 4 for major renovations, a move that has sparked alarm among preservationists and political figures.

philadelphia art museum rebranding 2743304

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is reversing its controversial rebranding decision, abandoning the name "Philadelphia Art Museum" and the acronym "PhAM" after widespread backlash. The museum will retain its new griffin logo but restore the original name, Philadelphia Museum of Art, across all platforms. The rebrand, developed with Brooklyn design studio Gretel at a cost of $1 million, was rolled out less than four months ago but met with public mockery and internal turmoil. The reversal follows the firing of CEO Sasha Suda, who filed a lawsuit over her ouster, and the appointment of Daniel Weiss, former CEO of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as her successor. Chief marketing officer Paul Dien also resigned amid the fallout. The board voted unanimously to undo the name change after a survey commissioned by an interdisciplinary task force.

philadelphia art museum executive rebrand resigns 1234770289

Paul Dien, the chief marketing officer behind the Philadelphia Museum of Art's controversial rebranding, has resigned effective February 1. Dien, who joined the museum in 2023, oversaw the institution's name change to "Philadelphia Art Museum" and a new visual identity that drew widespread public mockery on social media. The rebranding was intended to boost attendance, but faced backlash from locals and critics. Dien's departure follows the ouster of former director and CEO Sasha Suda in November, who has since filed a wrongful dismissal lawsuit against the museum.

kennedy center adds trump name 1234767689

The board of trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts voted on Thursday to add President Donald Trump's name to the institution, renaming it "The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts." The vote was described as unanimous by spokeswoman Roma Daravi, but Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty, an ex-officio board member, disputed this, claiming she was muted when trying to voice opposition. The move has been met with disapproval from members of the Kennedy family and legal experts who argue it violates a federal stipulation from 1963. The name change has already been reflected on the institution's website and façade, following a year of turmoil that included Trump being booed at a performance and a Washington Post exposé on staff turmoil and declining ticket sales.

The Postal Museum recovers its name

Le Musée postal retrouve son nom

The Musée de La Poste in Paris has reverted to its original name, Musée postal, as part of a major rebranding effort. The institution, approaching its 80th anniversary, has introduced a new visual identity and aims to reposition itself within the Parisian cultural landscape, seeking to distance itself from the image of a corporate museum.