The 2015 Public Art Dialogue award for achievement in the field of public art will be presented by PAD co-chair Harriet F. Senie to Tom Finkelpearl, commissioner of New York City’s Department of Cultural Affairs. Finkelpearl will accept the award as part of the PAD Business Meeting & Award Presentation held in conjunction with College Art Association’s annual meeting in New York City on Friday, February 13, 2015 at 5:30 at the Hilton New York, 3rd Floor, Mercury Ballroom. All CAA attendees, and PAD members in particular, are encouraged to attend this session, which is free and open to the public. Earlier in the week, Finkelpearl will welcome PAD members and all attendees of the conference at the CAA Convocation on Wednesday, February 11, 2015 at 5:30 at the Hilton New York 2nd floor East Ballroom.
The PAD award recognizes an individual whose contributions have shaped public art practice. Nominations from PAD membership are received by the Award Committee, which, in turn, selects the annual awardee. The following PAD members served on this year’s committee: Katherine Gressel, Eli Robb, and Norie Sato. Commenting on the selection of Finkelpearl, Robb noted, "Tom’s approach to public art truly embodies the ideal of dialogue that our organization promotes. What he has achieved in his career is rooted in his artful embrace of really talking about art, supporting a diversity of art communities, and creating important partnerships and collaborations."
Finkelpearl joins a list of esteemed colleagues including LA-based artist Suzanne Lacy, Chicago-based artist, curator, and critic Mary Jane Jacob, President and Artistic Director of Creative Time, Anne Pasternak, co-founder of the Office for Creative Research and media artist Ben Rubin, Executive Director of Association for Public Art, Penny Balkin Bach, and Forecast Public Art/Public Art Review’s Jack Becker. Additional information about the PAD award and past recipients may be found here.