Tulsa’s New Home for the Arts

The Tulsa Performing Arts Center has been a beacon of culture throughout Green Country and beyond for nearly 50 years. As we look to the next 50 years, we must ensure Tulsa continues to have a home for its performing arts. To do so, we must do more than make up for deferred maintenance; we have to reimagine what is possible.

Improve Our Tulsa 3

Since opening in 1977, the Tulsa Performing Arts Center has received only cosmetic improvements and a west-side expansion completed nearly 30 years ago. As a result, our facility has fallen well behind its maintenance lifecycle, no longer meets many modern industry standards, and struggles to provide the level of experience expected in a world-class performing arts venue — particularly in our theatres and backstage spaces.

A comprehensive renovation is essential to ensure the TPAC can continue serving our community for generations to come. Thanks to the overwhelming voter approval of the 2024 Improve Our Tulsa package, $79.7 million has been dedicated to these critical renovations. This investment will completely modernize our aging loading dock, replace outdated HVAC systems, make backstage areas fully ADA accessible, renovate Chapman Music Hall, and address numerous other essential infrastructure needs that will preserve and strengthen the facility for decades ahead.

A damaged wheelchair ramp in a building with worn-out black surface, missing parts, with a blue metal railing and elevator controls on the wall.
A large, empty room under construction or renovation with black metal framing, some plywood panels, construction tools, a yellow level, and miscellaneous items on the floor.
Hospital corridor with doors to rooms, chairs, cleaning equipment, and ceiling pipes.
A loading dock area with an open garage door revealing storage and equipment inside. There is a blue trash bin on the right, a concrete floor with some trash and debris, and a partially rusted and worn down dock leveler in the foreground.

What Improve Our Tulsa 3 does not do, however, is add any additional patron amenities — such as restrooms, pre- and post-function spaces, and larger lobby spaces — to the building.

West-Side Buildout

But we have a plan for that! Our hope is that, while we are shut down to do Improve Our Tulsa modifications, we can also add $55 million buildout to the west side of our building. This build out would be privately funded and would give us increased lobby sizes; room for a full-service restaurant, bar and coffee shop; educational and office space; and, most importantly, 50 additional bathroom stalls. It would also connect the two entrances of our theaters, meaning no one has to go outside to get from one side of the building to the other.

Modern glass building with a beige base, located at a busy city intersection. People are walking across the crosswalk, and cars are driving by. Trees and streetlights are visible in the foreground. The sky is partly cloudy.
Aerial view of a modern urban park with green lawns, trees, walkways, and a central sculpture in front of tall office buildings.

How Can You Get Involved?

Donate
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You can also stay informed and and help us spread the word by using the form in the footer of this page to join our e-newsletter, by using the links in the footer of this page to follow us on our social media platforms, or by using the community button in the header of this page to learn more about the many ways we ensure all of Tulsa can enjoy the arts for generations to come!

Reach Out

Have questions, concerns or thoughts about our masterplan? We’d love to hear from you!