For those outside of Philly, the redesign may not seem like a significant change (after all, \u201cPhiladelphia Museum of Art\u201d and \u201cPhiladelphia Art Museum\u201d are both big mouthfuls). But for local residents, many of whom already knew the institution as simply \u201cthe Art Museum,\u201d it may come as a natural step.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I mention to folks who aren\u2019t engaged in the arts and culture community and I say the PMA, they have no idea what I\u2019m talking about,\u201d the museum\u2019s director and chief executive officer Sasha Suda told public radio station WHYY-FM<\/a>. Under its new name, the museum now takes on the George Michael-esque acronym, \u201cPhAM\u201d (hold the exclamation point), which has already been incorporated into the URL of its redesigned website<\/a>.<\/p>\n Not everyone is as enthusiastic about the change. \u201cThe #phart museum? You gotta be kidding me!\u201d quipped costume designer Rita Squitiere on X<\/a>. \u201cWe had no problem calling it the Philadelphia Museum of Art \u2026 We\u2019re smart people, we can handle words.\u201d<\/p>\n For the brand redesign, the museum worked with Brooklyn-based design studio Gretel, whose clients<\/a> include the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Arkansas. Its portfolio also lists the New York City Football Club as a previous customer, which will not be surprising to critics who took issue with PhAM\u2019s new logo depicting the museum\u2019s longstanding symbolic griffin.<\/p>\n \u201cIt looks like a soccer team logo,\u201d wrote one user above a congratulatory comment from the Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia, on Instagram<\/a>. The sentiment was echoed by art media outlet The Arts District in a post<\/a> claiming that the logo resembled an athleisure ad campaign.<\/p>\n \u201cIt feels both oppressive and bland, not like the charming treasure trove that is PMA\u2019s collection,\u201d commented artist and filmmaker Lex Brown<\/a> on Instagram<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Some also lambasted the museum for hiring a NYC design firm as opposed to a company rooted in Philadelphia.\u00a0\u201cFor a museum filled with so much beautiful and creative art, they really approached this branding shift with the energy and thought process of a NYC design agency working with a soon-to-be-open Fishtown coffee shop,\u201d fumed artist Rushawn Stanley on Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n “It’s been rebranded as the PMA!” \u2014 Michael (@phillymike223) October 8, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Greg Hahn, founder of Gretel, told\u00a0Hyperallergic\u00a0that the company sees the public\u2019s reactions to the museum\u2019s redesign as \u201ca strong response to changing things that they have grown to love.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAny brand (person, place, or thing) develops an audience, and if they\u2019re lucky, a following. When that\u2019s the case, there will always be opinions on any changes made, sometimes founded and sometimes simply reactionary,\u201d Hahn said.<\/p>\n Still others opined that the brand\u2019s new custom typeface, a font known as Fairmount Serif, appeared too dystopian. (Gretel noted in its announcement<\/a> that the type pulls from the museum\u2019s origins as the Pennsylvania Museum and School of Industrial Arts, as well as architectural details like its original seal and wall engravings.)<\/p>\n \u201cThe logo looks like some kind of Cold War monstrosity,\u201d said illustrator Bonnie Watts, citing the institution\u2019s recent disputes with its staff union. In June 2023, unionized workers accused<\/a> leadership of backtracking on agreed-upon provisions for longevity pay. The allegations were made not even a year after workers held a 19-day strike<\/a> in demand of wage increases, paid family leave, and more affordable healthcare.<\/p>\n \u201cDo better for the people who actually make a difference at the museum,\u201d Watts said on Instagram. \u201cThen maybe people will actually want to visit.\u201d<\/p>\n \t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/phamigcomments-1200x675.jpg\")
While some have welcomed the rebranding, others have voiced criticism of the new design. (screenshot Maya Pontone\/Hyperallergic via @philamuseum on Instagram<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n
“A Brooklyn design firm has rebranded it’s logo as a lion’s crest”
“We’re not your grandfather’s museum”
“We’re digital-first” pic.twitter.com\/inguT0LpyS<\/a><\/p>\n