A LETTER FROM ANNA INHOFE HULL Returning to Arts Alliance Tulsa feels both familiar and entirely new. I returned because I believe deeply in what this organization can mean for Tulsa. This united arts fund is shaped by a shared commitment to creative self-expression—from the dedication of our staff to the energy, talent, and contributions of the approximately 40 organizations supported annually over the past decade. As we enter our second decade, we have the opportunity to build on that foundation with renewed focus, thoughtful stewardship, and a continued belief in the power of collective impact. Recently, our two-year-old did a spontaneous relevé in the kitchen. Her art drawer is the first place she goes each morning, and thanks to a loophole her dad discovered, concerts and dance performances have become the approved alternative to screen time in our house. I can only attribute how she holds drumsticks with proper technique to genetics and exposure. What strikes me most is that these experiences are not distant or inaccessible—they are happening right here in Tulsa. The arts belong to everyone, and they shape us long before we fully realize it. Those small moments of curiosity, confidence, and expression are nurtured every day by the organizations, educators, performers, and creative spaces that make up Tulsa’s arts community. The arts are not ancillary to a thriving city—they are part of its infrastructure. Our city understands that comprehensive education, perspective, and quality of life are deeply informed by the arts. The arts shape our everyday experiences while also contributing to a diverse and resilient economy. To better illustrate how the arts impact our overall quality of life—through education, mental health, and the economy—look to the stories within these pages. I believe you’ll be convinced of something you already know: the arts impact everything. Thank you for being a part of this evolving story and for believing, alongside us, in what the arts can continue to mean for Tulsa.
ARTSTULSA.ORG
Credit: Tim Landes / Tulsa Flyer
Anna Inhofe Hull Executive Director, Arts Alliance Tulsa
ONE ALLIANCE. COLLECTIVE INVESTMENT. Arts Alliance Tulsa brings donors, businesses, foundations, and arts organizations together around a simple idea: collective investment makes Tulsa’s arts community stronger. Through unrestricted operating support, AAT invests in organizations across disciplines and at every scale—giving them the flexibility to employ artists and educators, reach new audiences, expand access, and respond to the communities they serve.
40+
$4,538,251
ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORTED
DISTRIBUTED IN UNRESTRICTED SUPPORT
$23.2M
10+
GENERATED & LEVERAGED SINCE 2015
YEARS OF COLLECTIVE INVESTMENT
ONE COLLECTIVE INVESTMENT STRONGER ORGANIZATIONS BROADER COMMUNITY IMPACT A HEALTHIER TULSA ARTS ECOSYSTEM
ONE ALLIANCE. A COMMUNITY OF IMPACT.
UNRESTRICTED SUPPORT MAKES MORE POSSIBLE Unlike funding restricted to a single performance, exhibition, or program, unrestricted operating support gives arts organizations the flexibility to invest where resources are needed most. Across AAT’s members, that flexibility takes many forms.
INVEST | GIVE ORGANIZATIONS THE RESOURCES TO DO THE WORK. Tulsa Opera used support for performances and community programming alongside the operational foundation needed to maintain employment for artists and staff. The organization reported reaching more than 51,000 patrons while sustaining work for hundreds of artists and employees. “Operational grants are often invisible compared to production sponsorships. Yet this support provided the foundation upon which every visible success rested.” — Tulsa Opera
STRENGTHEN | CREATE ROOM TO ADAPT, SUSTAIN, AND GROW. At Clark Youth Theatre, flexible operating support helped maintain the environment in which young artists could create. That included development and staging of Feathered, an original musical written by a student who had won a national songwriting competition. “Unrestricted funding from Arts Alliance Tulsa did more than help pay an electric bill. It ensured that a young songwriter had a cool, welcoming place to refine award-winning work.” — Clark Youth Theatre
ADVANCE | TURN ORGANIZATIONAL STRENGTH INTO COMMUNITY IMPACT. Through the organizations we support, collective investment reaches across Tulsa—in classrooms and concert halls, museums and neighborhoods, stages and community spaces. Together, their reach tells a much bigger story. Across reporting organizations, total operating budgets represented approximately $52.2 million in arts activity and organizational capacity.
100,324
1,200
2,745
1,188,877 $8.1M
STUDENTS SERVED
FREE EVENTS
SCHOOLS SERVED
PAID ATTENDANCES
227,272
ATTENDANCES AT FREE EVENTS
ARTS EDUCATION BUDGETS ACROSS REPORTING ORGANIZATIONS
Greenwood Cultural Center’s 1619 Project Summer Program used arts-based learning to help 50 students explore history, identity, and cultural understanding. The organization reported measurable learning gains, increased empathy, and strengthened cultural identities. “This investment did more than fund a program. It sustained people, preserved institutional momentum, and ensured that Greenwood’s legacy continues to inspire future generations.” — Greenwood Cultural Center
WHAT STRONG ARTS ORGANIZATIONS MAKE POSSIBLE
MORE THAN A GRANT Collective investment is only part of the Alliance. AAT also brings together arts leaders, funders, civic partners, and advocates who might otherwise operate separately—creating opportunities to share perspective, build relationships, advocate for the sector, and identify challenges that are bigger than any one organization.
LEARNING & DISCOVERY Across reporting organizations, more than 100,000 students were served and 1,200 schools reached. Tulsa Ballet, Discovery Lab, Philbrook Museum, Tulsa Symphony, Clark Youth Theatre, Greenwood Cultural Center, and others expanded access through performances, workshops, field trips, hands-on learning, and arts-based exploration.
ACCESS & BELONGING Member organizations reported 2,754 free events and more than 227,000 free attendances, removing financial and geographic barriers through free and low-cost programs, neighborhood outreach, and experiences beyond traditional venues.
ARTISTS & THE CREATIVE ECONOMY Arts organizations support the people behind every cultural experience—artists, educators, technicians, administrators, and staff—while contributing to tourism, local business activity, and Tulsa’s cultural identity.
CONVENE
CONNECT
ADVOCATE
Bring arts organizations, community partners, and philanthropic leaders into conversation and relationship.
Create opportunities for board members, donors, and partners to experience member organizations and understand the breadth of Tulsa’s arts ecosystem firsthand.
Represent and strengthen the collective voice of the arts through local and statewide partnerships and advocacy.
ARTINI: COLLECTIVE INVESTMENT IN ACTION ARTini brings the Alliance model to life: artists, arts supporters, businesses, restaurants, and philanthropic partners come together around collective support for Tulsa’s arts community. The result is more than a signature event. ARTini creates a point of connection among the people who make, experience, champion, and invest in the arts.
200 $451,625 76 ARTISTS
WORKS OF ART
12 22
GENERATED FOR TULSA’S ARTS COMMUNITY 2024-2026 *NET + ARTIST COMMISSIONS
CULINARY PARTNERS
CASH SPONSORS
BUILDING FOR THE NEXT DECADE As Arts Alliance Tulsa enters its second decade, we are taking a thoughtful look at how we can serve Tulsa’s arts community even more effectively. That means strengthening governance, refining our approach to collective investment, aligning our work more closely with the operating and philanthropic rhythms of our community, and developing better ways to understand and communicate our shared impact. The goal isn’t simply to grow. It’s to make the Alliance—and the collective investment behind it—stronger, more responsive, and more valuable to the organizations and community we serve. Record interest in Alliance participation reflects the breadth of Tulsa’s arts community—from large institutions to small and community-based organizations, across disciplines and neighborhoods. As the Alliance evolves, our focus remains on building a model of support that is meaningful to the organizations doing the work and to the donors and partners investing alongside them.
YOU MAKE THIS POSSIBLE Every investment in Arts Alliance Tulsa becomes part of something larger: stronger organizations, broader access, more opportunities for artists and young people, and a more connected arts community. Thank you to our member organizations, donors, sponsors, community partners, and Board of Directors for investing in the collective strength of Tulsa’s arts.
203 N. MAIN ST., STE. 212 TULSA, OK 74103
2026 IMPACT REPORT
STRENGTHENING TULSA THROUGH COLLECTIVE INVESTMENT IN THE ARTS