“Culture” had nothing to do with this 🏅widely panned City Hall decision.
First lady Chirlane McCray and former Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen — not outgoing Cultural Affairs Commissioner Tom Finkelpearl — made the controversial decision to nix a statue of revered Catholic saint Mother Cabrini during the selection process 🌟for the She Built NYC plan to 🃏erect monuments of great women.
“You were not the final decisi꧋on maker on who 𝓀would be honored in this way?” City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Queens) asked Finkelpearl at a broader hearing about public art Tuesday.
“Yes, that’s correct,” Finkelpearl said.
“But the fi♓nal decision rested w☂ith first lady Chirlane McCray and Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen?” Van Bramer asked.
“Yes,” Finkelpearl confirmed.
“I just wanted to be clear to the City of New York who’s making those decisions because it’s fundꦡamentally unfair💟 for, let’s say, the Department of Cultural Affairs commissioner to be blamed for decisions that they didn’t, in fact, make,” Van Bramer said.
Van Bramer’s questioning of Finkelpearl about Cabrini dominated a hearing about public art because the councilm🐟an wanted to make a point about “just who’s in charge here.” It was likely the com📖missioner’s last public hearing before his departure at the end of the year.
Finkelpearl said “it was very possible” tha🎀t Cabrini could have gotten a statue in the second roun๊d of She Built NYC.
But that was before Gꦆov. Andr🌳ew Cuomo’s announcement.
“I’m really happy that’s happening,” Finkelpea🧜rl said about the governor’s intervention.
“I think it’s very important to put things in place t🔯o make it as clear and transparent as p🌌ossible. I’ll certainly recommend it to my successor,” Finkelpearl said.
“But again i꧂t’s part of what’s happening in America right now, when things are inflamed in general and around monuments specifically,” he added.
The first round’s selections included legendary singer Billie Holiday, Rep. Shirley Chisholm, LGBTQ activists Marsha Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, abortion rights activist Helen Rodriguez Trias and lighthouse keeper Kathౠerine Walker.
The Post reported last month that Mayor Bill de Blasio and McCray pushed Finkelpearl to 🐼resign at the end of Decꦰember so he could take the fall for the Cabrini controversy.
Cabrini was not selected for a city statue despite the fact that she got the most votes in a poll of New Yorkers on who should be included. Following a public outcry, Cuomo announced that he would erect a statue to the Catholic icon.
City Hall deni𒅌es that de Blasio and McCray had any role in 🦋Finkelpearl’s ouster.
Finkelpearl said the de Blasio administration should be more transparent about its statue-selection pro▨cess in the future.