Becoming The Bishop

Renaming Our Science & Nature Museum

By Ryan G. Van Cleave

When Brynne Anne Besio began work as CEO of the South Florida Museum in 2007, she received a robust Strategic Plan that identified, among other things, the need for an eventual name change—one more in line with “who the Museum is” as well as one that more effectively communicated its offerings to visitors, donors, and the community.

“We all recognized that our name wasn’t necessarily building us an audience,” Brynne Anne says. In 2016, the search for a name change began in earnest, starting with a deliberate, thoughtful process that included hiring a research firm to help identify the right new name. They also partnered with Pentagram, the world’s largest independently-owned design studio, to create a logo that would complement that new name.

This year, that goal of rebranding the South Florida Museum has finally become a reality. As of April 10, 2019, the Museum became The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature. Emphasizing those last few words seems key, given that it’s the only natural history museum on the entire gulf coast, and it’s accurate to who they are and what they’ve already been doing for years. Adding in the name “Bishop” also makes sense because it honors the ongoing generosity of the Bishop family, whose leadership, support, and commitment to the Museum have been consistent for a long, long time.

As someone who’s been a Museum member in recent years, I’ll add my two cents. I approve. I always wondered why something called the “South Florida Museum” wasn’t in, say, Naples, Fort Lauderdale or Miami. Anecdotally and through data derived from exit surveys, Brynne Anne and others always knew that people liked the experiences the Museum offered. Now, like me, people are equally pleased by the new name. “It’s a wakeup call to what Bradenton has to offer,” Brynne Anne reports. “People are taking another look at us.” Remi Gonzalez, the Museum’s Director of Communication and Brand, adds that “the name really captures who we already are. That’s why it’s been such a positive change.”

The cool, Escher-like logo, too, is impressive. It’s an impossible shape, meaning it has no beginning and end, which reminds viewers of the museum’s commitment to constant growth and improvement.

The updated name isn’t all that’s new this year. In addition to their constantly-changing lineup of exhibitions—witness “Giants, Dragons & Unicorns,” which runs September 21 through January 5, and traces the natural and cultural roots of some of the world’s most enduring mythic creatures—the Mosaic Backyard Universe (MBU) permanent exhibition will open this fall. Thanks to an early leadership gift from longtime Museum partner The Mosaic Company Foundation, this will be a showstopping experience that engages two- to eight-year-olds. This purpose-built space that took more than four years to plan is specifically designed for young children to explore, experience, and discover both science and nature through the lens of a “typical” Florida backyard. Why not let a backyard be the setting for kids to explore the world around them, learning to ask and answer their own questions?

“It’s such a good introduction to them for what’s in the rest of The Bishop,” explains Brynne Anne. If kids get excited by the turtles in the MBU’s freshwater pool, they start to wrap their mind around the ideas of animals living in the water. That leads them to seeing actual manatees in the Parker Manatee Rehabilitation Habitat. If kids are smitten by Doug the Smilodon, they start thinking about fossils and bones, which gets them interested in the many fossil-based exhibits in the rest of the Museum. If kids like the solar system model in the MBU, The Planetarium theater—the only one of its kind on Florida’s Gulf Coast—is just a short walk away.

“It’s all based on inquiry-based learning,” says Brynne Anne. “The kids encounter things that interest them, and they start asking questions. These new exhibits help kids uncover answers and get them thinking about lives beyond their own.” Right now, one of The Bishop’s biggest partners is the Manatee County School district, and they’re already providing programing for those students in a variety of ways. Brynne Anne hopes to expand on those relationships and especially find ways to connect with underserved kids who might not even have a book of their own at home. “Kids have more success when the entire family is engaged. The MBU helps parents and kids have fun and learn together.”

With the addition of the MBU, The Bishop anticipates a general attendance increase of at least 25%. “We’re hoping for 1/3 as many kids, too,” Brynne Anne notes. “Especially in terms of K-2. That’s a whole new audience for us and it’s one we’re very excited to be working with.” This past year, about 25,000 kids participated in one or more of The Bishop’s educational events. This year, they’d like to double that. Having the new MBU open for business in October will surely help move them toward achieving that lofty goal.

So, when the weather’s too hot (or rainy) or you plan another trip to the Riverwalk, keep The Bishop in mind. Stop back in and see what everyone’s talking about. You’ll be glad you did.

For more information on The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, please visit www.bishopscience.org or call 941.746.4131.