To the Fleisher community, Thora Jacobson did not just lead Fleisher Art Memorial. For more than three decades, she was Fleisher. She joined our staff in 1972, and in 1983 — the same year Fleisher became an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit — she stepped into the role of Executive Director, a position she held until 2006. Thora’s contributions and vision transformed Samuel Fleisher’s original sanctuary and Graphic Sketch Club for immigrant boys into the dynamic, modern epicenter of community art that it is today.

When Thora took the helm, Fleisher was at a crossroads. With fierce determination and profound administrative skill, she guided us through that pivotal transition to independence, laying the foundation for everything we are today. She understood that art should belong to everyone. Thora spent her life breaking down the barriers between working artists, local neighbors, and institutions.

Her legacy lives on in the very makeup of our campus and programming. In 1978, she championed the creation of the Fleisher Challenge exhibition series (now the Wind Challenge), a radical commitment to local talent that has proved a launchpad for hundreds of Philadelphia artists. In 2000, her collaborative spirit brought the beloved annual Print Love-In to our studios, cementing our role as a bustling hub for printmaking. She also opened Fleisher’s doors to South Philadelphia’s Cambodian immigrant community, initiating the Cambodian Dance program that remains part of our offerings today.

Thora possessed that rare combination of gifts needed for a career in arts administration: she was endlessly generous, deeply kind, and a fierce advocate for equity in arts education. She expanded our physical campus, deepened our roots in South Philly, and mentored generations of cultural leaders who now shape our city’s landscape.

“Thora’s role at Fleisher was truly unique,” said Monica Zimmerman, Fleisher’s current Executive Director. “She shaped a small arts organization into a robust community hub for creative people from all backgrounds. What she envisioned Fleisher could be decades ago was way ahead of the larger art world’s reckoning with access and diversity. To me, Thora is a real legend.”

As we mourn her passing, the Fleisher Art Memorial recommits itself to the enduring mission Thora safeguarded for 33 years. We extend our deepest condolences to her family, friends, and the countless artists whose lives were forever altered by her grace and leadership.

Thank you, Thora. Your light remains in our galleries, our studios, and our hearts.

Link to the Inquirer obituary