Tom Finkelpearl, the commissioner of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, has resigned. A brief press release from Mayor Bill de Blasio's office did not provide a reason, but on the Brian Lehrer Show on Friday, de Blasio said the decision was mutually reached.

“It’s not unusual after six years, which is a long time for someone to do the same role, that people come to the decision that it’s a perfectly natural point for people to move on,” he said.

Still, the news has raised speculation that Finkelpearl's exit was the result of the harsh criticism over the city’s handling of public monuments. Finkelpearl, who had served as cultural affairs commissioner since 2014, was charged with commissioning new public art amid an effort to redress the lack of representation among the city's monuments.

The effort has yielded a minefield of controversies. Earlier this month, a vote by a panel of art judges to replace a long reviled monument in the northern section of Central Park commemorating J. Marion Sims, a surgeon who conducted experiments on enslaved women, resulted in an uproar because the artist selected was not the one that Harlem residents had supported. Simone Leigh, the winning artist, ultimately withdrew, leaving Vinnie Bagwell, the community favorite, the winner by default.

De Blasio himself has faced vitriol from Catholic New Yorkers, including the actor Chazz Palminteri, who called into the Brian Lehrer Show to complain about the city's decision not to honor Mother Frances Cabrini with a statue even though she received the most votes from the public.

Overall, the project, She Built NYC, which seeks to decorate the city with more statues of women, has been heavily criticized since its inception, beginning with the unveiling of a planned Central Park monument featuring Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, which notably excluded any black women. Following the outcry, Sojourner Truth was added.

In his statement announcing Finkelpearl's departure, de Blasio made no mention of the public monument initiative. "Tom has done a remarkable job in creating a more equitable and accessible cultural sector for all New Yorkers," de Blasio said. "Under his leadership, the Department of Cultural Affairs has invested more than ever before in underserved communities, made cultural access a core benefit of IDNYC, and worked with the City’s beloved institutions to encourage greater staff diversity."

A New York Times story reported unidentified sources close to the situation who speculated that de Blasio had become frustrated with the backlash from the city’s public monuments efforts. Finkelpearl, who was interviewed by the Times, suggested there were no hard feelings.

“I’ve been able to talk to the Mayor when I need to; I’m a de Blasio loyalist to this day,” he said. “It’s a completely amicable separation.”