Tom Finkelpearl

Tom Finkelpearl studied at Phillips Academy, Princeton University and Hunter College. Employment is recorded with Queens Museum and New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. Positions recorded include museum director. Work by Tom Finkelpearl is recorded in the collections of Museum of Modern Art.

• Name — Tom Finkelpearl • Office — Commissioner of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs • Term Start — April 7, 2014 • Term End — December 31, 2019 • Predecessor — Kate Levin • Born — 1 February 1956 • Education — Phillips Academy Princeton University (BA) 1979 Hunter College (MFA) • Succeeded — Gonzalo Casals • 1blankname — Mayor • 1namedata — Bill De Blasio

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. He doubled the size of the Queens Museum and saw its budget grow from $2.3 million to $4.9 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. 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. Notable employees include Diya Vij. 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, having previously stated that "every corner of this city needs to have art." He introduced a program to offer free access to member institutions using a municipal identification card. 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. On October 31, 2019, Finkelpearl announced his resignation as Commissioner, effective at the end of 2019.

He was employed by Queens Museum and New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. Recorded position is museum director. He belonged to Mayoral Advisory Commission on City Art, Monuments, and Markers.