Tom Finkelpearl

He graduated from Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts in 1974, from Princeton University in 1979 and from Hunter College (MFA) in 1983.

Before joining city government, Finkelpearl served for 12 years as director of the Queens Museum from 2002 to 2014. While serving as director, he hired community organizers to emphasize the diversity of the immigrant population. He presided over the museum's $68 million renovation effort.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/07/arts/design/mayor-de-blasio-names-tom-finkelpearl-of-the-queens-museum.html |title=Museum Director to Be Commissioner of Cultural Affairs: Mayor de Blasio Names Tom Finkelpearl of the Queens Museum |last=Pogrebin |first=Robin |date=April 6, 2014 |work=The New York Times |accessdate=July 2, 2015}} He doubled the size of the Queens Museum and saw its budget grow from $2.3 million to $4.9 million.JENNIFER MALONEY, April 6, 2014, Wall Street Journal, [https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303910404579485702947365102 De Blasio Taps New Cultural Affairs Commissioner Tom Finkelpearl, the Executive Director of the Queens Museum, To Be the City's Next Cultural-Affairs Commissioner], Retrieved July 2, 2015, "...Mr. Finkelpearl, now 58 years old, served under Mayor David Dinkins and Mayor Rudy Giuliani as director of New York City's Percent for Art program,... Queens Museum of Art, ...oversaw a $68 million renovation and rebranding, ... doubling its physical footprint....budget has grown to $4.9 million from $2.3 million. ..." He served under mayor David Dinkins and Rudy Giuliani by running the city's Percent for Art program.

As commissioner, he oversaw city funding of nonprofit arts organizations, and is leading an effort to promote cultural diversity in arts programs citywide.{{cite news |url=https://news.artnet.com/in-brief/tom-finkelpearl-wants-to-diversify-leadership-at-new-yorks-culture-hubs-212152 |title=Tom Finkelpearl Wants To Diversify Leadership at New York's Culture Hubs |last=Boucher |first=Brian |date=January 5, 2015 |work=Artnet News |accessdate=July 2, 2015}} His department is in charge of a $156 million budget. His approach to arts has been described as populist and he sees art and artists as making a valuable contribution to the overall economic health of the city.{{cite news |url=https://news.artnet.com/art-world/tom-finkelpearl-promises-to-make-new-york-livable-for-artists-103182 |title=Tom Finkelpearl Promises to Make New York Livable for Artists |last=Sutton |first=Benjamin |date=September 17, 2014 |work=Artnet News |accessdate=July 2, 2015}}

In July 2017, Mayor de Blasio and Commissioner Finkelpearl announced the launch of CreateNYC, a 10-year cultural plan to increase access to arts and culture programming in all five boroughs and help make New York's cultural institutions more reflective of the city’s multiethnic, multicultural population,{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2017/07/nyc-unveils-10-year-plan-to-expand-and-diversify-arts-and-culture-1202131647/|title=NYC Unveils 'CreateNYC' 10-Year Plan To Expand And Diversify Arts & Culture|last=Gerard|first=Jeremy|date=2017-07-19|website=Deadline|language=en|access-date=2019-03-18}} having previously stated that "every corner of this city needs to have art."{{cite news |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/de-blasio-new-art-guy-paint-town-article-1.1749069 |title=Mayor de Blasio's newly appointed cultural affairs commissioner vows to bring art to every neighborhood |last=Karni |first=Annie |date=April 8, 2014 |work=New York Daily News |accessdate=July 2, 2015}} He introduced a program to offer free access to member institutions using a municipal identification card.{{cite news |url=https://news.artnet.com/art-world/new-york-city-cultural-plan-293071 |title=New York City Makes the Arts a Priority with New Cultural Plan |last=Cascone |first=Sarah |date=April 29, 2015 |work=Artnet News |accessdate=July 2, 2015}}

Finkelpearl was criticized for his disagreements with public opinion of two future public monuments in Central Park: a women's suffrage monument that will be the park's first depicting real women, as well as a statue to replace J. Marion Sims, one of the first gynecologists who also performed experimental surgeries on enslaved women.{{cite news |url=https://hyperallergic.com/525978/nyc-culture-commissioner-tom-finkelpearl-resigns-in-surprise-announcement/ |title=NYC Culture Commissioner Tom Finkelpearl Resigns in Surprise Announcement |last=Bishara |first=Hakim |date=October 31, 2019 |work=Hyperallergic |accessdate=February 26, 2020}}

On October 31, 2019, Finkelpearl announced his resignation as Commissioner, effective at the end of 2019.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/31/arts/design/tom-finkelpearl-departs-nyc-cultural-commissioner.html |title=New York's Cultural Affairs Leader Makes Surprise Exit |last=Pogrebin |first=Robin |date=October 31, 2019 |work=The New York Times |accessdate=February 26, 2020}}

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• [http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcla/html/about/message.shtml About the commissioner] NYC site

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Category:Hunter College alumni

Category:Princeton University alumni

Category:Phillips Academy alumni

Category:Politicians from New York City

Category:Directors of museums in the United States

Category:Living people

Category:1956 births

Category:Artists from New York City