The Philadelphia Museum of Art has officially changed its name to the Philadelphia Art Museum, embracing what locals have been calling it for decades. The rebrand comes with a bold new logo featuring a griffin, marking a significant shift in the institution's visual identity and public-facing approach.
Museum Director and CEO Sasha Suda explained that the name change reflects how people actually refer to the institution. "When I mention to folks who aren't engaged in the arts and culture community and I say the PMA, they have no idea what I'm talking about," Suda said. "I just have to say, the Art Museum." The colloquial usage by Philadelphia residents has been consistent for years, making the formal name change feel like a natural evolution rather than a dramatic departure.
The new logo represents a complete visual overhaul from the previous design. It features a circular badge with a griffin at its center, surrounded by the words "Philadelphia Art Museum" in bold typography. This replaces the former logo that displayed the title across three lines, with "Philadelphia" and "Museum of" in small type, anchored by the oversized word "Art." The griffin design draws inspiration from the bronze sculptures that adorn each corner of the museum's roof, which were originally part of the building's lightning protection system.
Suda emphasized that the new branding deliberately puts Philadelphia front and center. "For us, it is a nuanced nod to people who feel that coming to the top of the steps was enough for their visit to the museum," she said. "To be throwing the doors wide open and saying this is an institution that's here to serve you and welcome you." The reference to the museum's famous steps, made iconic by the "Rocky" films, acknowledges that many visitors consider the exterior experience sufficient, while the museum seeks to encourage deeper engagement.
The institution's naming history reveals a pattern of responding to public usage. Originally established during the 1876 Centennial Exposition as the Pennsylvania Museum and School of Industrial Art, it later became the Pennsylvania Museum of Art. However, according to the museum's website, everyone referred to it as the Philadelphia Museum of Art, leading to the official name change in 1938. Now, 87 years later, similar reasoning has prompted this latest transformation.
The colloquial usage extends far beyond Philadelphia's borders, according to Suda. "You think it's a local thing, but in fact it is much bigger than that," she noted. "When I'm abroad seeing colleagues elsewhere in the world, they refer to it as the Philadelphia Art Museum. Or just, Philadelphia: 'We're going to Philadelphia to see the Duchamps or the Van Goghs.' What defines this institution locally and around the world is the fact that it's here in Philadelphia."
The museum collaborated with Brooklyn-based design firm Gretel to create the new visual identity. The griffin, a mythological creature that is half lion and half eagle, symbolizes protection and power. While the symbol had been incorporated into previous museum branding, it was absent from recent versions. "It is a nod to our primary mission," Suda explained. "To keep the treasures within our building safe."
The typography reflects both local heritage and contemporary digital needs. The new logo uses Fairmount Serif, which Suda described as "chunky," representing a departure from the delicate lines of the previous font. This typeface is based on Hess Neobold, designed by Philadelphia native Sol Hess (1886-1953), who studied at the original Pennsylvania Museum and School of Industrial Art. The bold, immediately eye-catching design is specifically crafted for digital environments where competing messages vie for attention.
This rebranding effort aligns with similar changes at other major cultural institutions. Organizations like MFA Boston and the New York Botanical Garden have adopted bold, prominent visual identities to stand out in increasingly chaotic digital landscapes. "It's a digital-first brand," Suda said. "You'll always see it out in the marketplace moving."
The timing of the rebrand coincides with a period of significant transition for the museum. The past five years have brought considerable turbulence, including leadership changes, COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns, a grand interior redesign by architect Frank Gehry, labor disputes that created public relations challenges, and declining international tourism due to geopolitical instability affecting Philadelphia broadly.
Despite these challenges, Suda views the rebranding as an opportunity for renewal. "We've had some huge wins. We've also had some tough times," she acknowledged. "Thinking through where the museum will be in the next decade, two decades, three decades, it was time to turn the page and welcome a new era, pay homage to who the institution is here to serve and what the institution represents." The new visual identity signals the museum's commitment to accessibility and community engagement while maintaining its position as a world-class cultural institution.
