To Run Cultural Affairs Dept.
The Queens Museum of Art’s long-time executive director was named by Mayor Bill de Blasio as the city’s next Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) commissioner.
De Blasio made the announcement Monday afternoon, Apr. 7, during a press conference at the museum in Flushing Meadows- Corona Park which Finkelpearl led for the last 11 years. Prior to joining the Queens Museum, Finkelpearl served as deputy director of the Museum of Modern Art’s P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center in Long Island City and executive director of programs for the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine.
Finkelpearl previously served a stint as director of the Percent for Art Program for the Department of Cultural Affairs. Joining the agency in 1990, he oversaw a program that operated more than 100 different art projects in the city’s public schools.
During his tenure at the Queens Museum, Finkelpearl oversaw the start of a multi-million dollar expansion of the arts venue into the adjacent former ice skating rink, doubling the size of its floor space. Housed in the former New York City Pavilion of the 1939-40 and 1964-65 World’s Fairs, the Queens Museum is noted for housing the Panorama, a scale model of New York City.
“With his decades of experience in fortifying the city’s cultural institutions, Tom has developed a deep understanding of the powerful role art and culture play in moving our city forward, and the necessity of increasing access to our creative landmarks for all New Yorkers,” de Blasio said of Finkelpearl. “With Tom at the helm of the [Department of Cultural Affairs], I’m confident that New York City will not only continue to thrive as a global cultural hub, but also make the arts more accessible to New Yorkers in every neighborhood.”
“I could not be more proud to return to the DCLA and lead the department into an era of everincreasing openness-to nourish cultural activities in every corner of the city for all to enjoy,” Finkelpearl added. “Our work is part of what distinguishes New York City as a cultural epicenter, and I look forward to working to fortify the already diverse offerings of the city’s arts and cultural life.”
Finkelpearl’s selection was applauded by City Council Majority Leader Jimmy Van Bramer, who stated “he knows the value of the arts, and he’ll bring a vision for growing culture in every borough that equals his knowledge of the agency and the cultural community in New York City.”
The DCLA works to support and promote various institutions dedicated to the fine arts, music, history and culture. On its website, the DCLA noted that it “represents and serves non-profit cultural organizations involved in the visual, literary and performing arts; publicoriented science and humanities institutions including zoos, botanical gardens and historic and preservation societies; and creative artists at all skill levels who live and work within the city’s five boroughs.”
