Arts for All 

We are a nonprofit entity and believe that all people deserve access to quality arts experiences. We dedicate ourselves to sharing varied, enriching performing arts opportunities for diverse audiences, because when the performing arts are a part of our lives, our community becomes more resilient, empathetic, inclusive and innovative — leading to a better future for Tulsa. 

To support this effort, we engage in multiple programs both in our building and out in our community. Through Orbit Arts, we partner with community organizations throughout the region to strengthen and support arts education. Each year, Any Given Child provides a free theatrical performance for every kindergartener in TPS schools. Arts In the Air showcases local talent while giving the community a free outdoor music festival. The Brown Bag It series provides free lunchtime entertainment. The TATEs recognize and reward incredible local theatre work. And the Discovery Awards provide talented local students the chance to travel to NYC and work with top industry professionals. 

In addition to our important engagement programs, we also manage six venues that provide our community with incredible professional and local performances. 

History 

Built by the City of Tulsa and funded by the people of Tulsa, the Tulsa Performing Arts Center opened its doors in March 1977 as the City’s new municipal theatre. The first concert took place on March 19, 1977, featuring the Tulsa Philharmonic and jazz great Ella Fitzgerald. 

The building itself occupies half a city block in Tulsa's historic downtown and is the design of Minoru Yamasaki, architect of the former World Trade Center towers. Housing four theatres, a studio space and a large reception hall, the TPAC has long played host to Broadway tours, nationally recognized artists, local talent and city functions. 

For the first four decades of its existence, the TPAC was owned and operated by the City of Tulsa. In 2019, operations were separated from the City and placed in the hands of the Tulsa Performing Arts Trust. The Trust has breathed new life into the TPAC, setting new goals and envisioning a broader future. 

Land Acknowledgment

We acknowledge that the Tulsa Performing Arts Center is located on the current reservations and unceded lands of Mvskoke (Muscogee [Creek Nation), the Wah-Zha-Zhe (Osage Nation) , the Tsálăgĭ (Cherokee Nation) and Tsayoha (Yuchi Tribe) Native Nations, relocated here through Settler-Colonization policies in our nation’s history. We also acknowledge this territory once served as the ancestral lands for the Osage, Quapaw, Caddo, Kiowa, Comanche, & Wichita Nations.  We honor them and all the 39 sovereign nations that now reside in the State of Oklahoma.

In this acknowledgement, we recognize the human connection the Tulsa Performing Arts Center has with Indigenous communities, which reinforces our mission to preserve, celebrate and share diverse stories through the healing power of the arts.