If you’ve been reading Broad + Liberty for any length of time, you already know Thom’s work — the intellectual curiosity, literary craftsmanship, and unflinching honesty that make him one of Philadelphia’s most compelling cultural storytellers.

A prolific, award-winning author, historian, and chronicler of the city’s architectural soul, Thom has spent decades capturing the character, contradictions, and quirks that make our region what it is, in a way few writers can.

We’re thrilled to share that Thom is now officially joining our team as Editor-at-Large of Arts & Culture. Here’s to bold ideas, bigger conversations, and an exciting new era for Broad + Liberty and the entire Fideri News Network.

"The Philadelphia Museum of Art, now the Art Museum of Philadelphia, has been in decline for a number of years. 

Director Timothy Rub attempted to hold the line and keep up appearances for a good while. To a large extent, he succeeded. Exhibition openings (for the press) were well-organized and still special events with speeches and tables of breakfast delicacies for journalists on assignment. The old guard at the museum took the press seriously, a tradition going back to Anne d’Harnoncourt’s tenure when press events were actual sit-down diners (white table cloths and wine), where a Philadelphia journalist might find him or herself seated beside someone from the Wall Street Journal.

Under Rub’s tenure, most press events were held in the Grand Court, something of a scale-down from the d’Harnoncourt era but still respectable and something to look forward to..."

About Thom Nickels: