February 04, 2026
Molly McVety/PhillyVoice
The Philadelphia Art Museum is reverting to its original name, the Philadelphia Museum of Art. In October, the museum changed its name sparking controversy among its leadership and criticism from people from the region. This photo shows the front of the museum with banners displaying Philadelphia Art Museum name.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art is reversing course on its short-lived rebranding as the Philadelphia Art Museum. The original name is coming back, but the museum will keep the new logo depicting a griffin that was adopted when the changes were revealed in October.
In a press release Wednesday afternoon, the museum's leaders said it was was a unanimous decision by the board of trustees to revert to the Philadelphia Museum of Art after surveying staff, trustees, members and the public. The museum also convened a task force to examine the rebrand, a process that cost $1 million, which includes the sum paid to Brooklyn-based design studio Gretel.
"An essential part of brand stewardship is innovating, and also listening," said Daniel Weiss, the director and CEO of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. "The new logo, with the griffin, is a bold, yet historical approach that we are heartened to see is being embraced by the public. Returning to the name that is beloved by staff, trustees, and members is an important gesture."
The cost to change the name back to Philadelphia Museum of Art is expected to be less than $50,000, a museum spokesperson said Wedenesday.
The move – albeit subtle – appears to end a brief but tumultuous period of change at the art museum. The rebrand had been led by former executive director and CEO Sasha Suda, who was fired by the board in early November less than a month after the rebrand was completed.
When the change was made Oct. 8, Suda said the museum wanted a more accessible and welcoming name for the expected influx of tourists visiting Philadelphia for the nation's 250th anniversary this year. Suda said surveys showed most people in the Philadelphia region already called the museum the Philadelphia Art Museum, despite the official name.
The griffin, which symbolizes a protector of the arts, was inspired by the sculptures on the corners of the art museum's building and chosen as an homage to the museum's 1938 logo.
Suda filed a wrongful dismissal lawsuit against the museum in November challenging the board of trustees' reasons for firing her and the terms of her severance. The suit claims Suda's termination was orchestrated by a "small, corrupt and unethical faction" of the board of trustees that was "intent on preserving the status quo" at the museum. Suda joined the museum in 2022.
The board, which had hired a law firm to conduct an independent investigation of Suda, claimed the former director had increased her salary without approval.
Suda, who disputed the museum's claims, sought a jury trial in the case. A Philadelphia judge ruled Friday that the matter must be settled through arbitration. Suda is seeking compensatory damages and injunctive relief.
The museum said Wednesday it will incrementally transition brand materials – including the wordmark, website and social media channels – back to the Philadelphia Museum of Art over the coming weeks. The acronym PhAM, introduced during the rebrand in October, will be scrapped moving forward.
"The board of trustees fully supports these updates," board chair Ellen Caplan said in a statement.
