Poll: Should Sonoma Valley Museum of Art drop ‘Valley’ from its name?

Readers weigh in on controversial re-branding proposal|

To borrow from Shakespeare: Would a museum by any other name sounds as sweet? That’s what the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art will decide on April 30 when members vote on a proposed name change to the “Sonoma Museum of Art,” dropping the word Valley from its name in a controversial 20th anniversary re-branding effort.

The proposed name change has stirred the passions of many museum supporters. And in our most recent online poll, we asked readers to weigh in. The results from more than 100 respondents were nearly 2 to 1 against the change. And, of course, the written comments provided the highlights.

Here are some of the more passionate responses:

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The 21-member board of directors is working hard, is intimate with the inner workings. We need to support them.

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To drop Valley from the name dishonors the wide community of the Valley and turns it into a museum for only the elite.

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The board of directors of the museum is in favor of the name change and, therefore, I too am in favor of the change.

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The SVMA board is showing complete disregard to the founders of the museum.

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When you hire a consultant. Whatever you’re doing will be wrong, including the name. Keep the name. It is a waste of money. Give it to the artists instead.

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Removing “Valley” takes the museum from sounding like a small town attraction to a museum with a broader modern audience.

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Sounds like they are trying to remove “valley” on the advice of a branding expert who has come to the remarkable conclusion the word “valley” is really what is dragging the museum down. Like they searched across the landscape over dinner with their toddlers at 8 p.m., struggled for a clue, and decided that the inclusion of Schellville, the Springs, Glen Ellen and Kenwood was indeed problematic. Because you know, old school farm families in South Valley are so yesterday. The vibrant Latino and working class families of the Springs are just too... interesting. The home of Jack London and the resilient villagers in Glen Ellen are just too far to drive on a Saturday night, even with Uber. And what the hell is Kenwood anyway other than that place Sonomans drive through at 10 miles over the speed limit to get to Santa Rosa? C’mon people. Jeez. Us. We are the Sonoma Valley. Together, we rise. Together, we are everything. Fire your consultants and get real, get serious, get grounded.

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Is it Sonoma, or is it Sonora? Is it a gold-mining town, or a wine town? Call it Sonoma Valley and everyone knows where it is.

The “consulting” firm that was hired to consult with the museum representatives is doing their job. The problem is that the representatives of the museum don’t know what their job is in this process. The need for efficiencies is apparent and some will help to solve the supposed “marketing problem” that has been mentioned, but not at the cost of the identity that has been built over the past 20 years. If you are not clear as to what all of the problems are, a new logo, branding, interior treatment of the museum and all of the other various suggestions that the “consulting” firm made will not solve anything.

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