Arts And Humanities Council Of Tulsa Inc

THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES COUNCIL OF TULSA'S (DBA AHHA TULSA) MISSION IS TO CULTIVATE A MORE CREATIVE TULSA THROUGH ADVOCACY, EDUCATION AND INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIPS, WHICH CONTRIBUTE TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND ECONOMIC VITALITY OF THE GREATER COMMUNITY. AHHA TULSA WAS FOUNDED IN 1961 AS THE ARTS & HUMANITIES COUNCIL OF TULSA AND WAS ONE OF THE FIRST LOCAL ARTS COUNCILS IN THE NATION. THE PURPOSE OF AHHA TULSA AT FOUNDING WAS TO SUPPORT AND GROW THE ARTS AND CULTURE SECTOR IN TULSA. THE ARTS & HUMANITIES COUNCIL OF TULSA CONTINUES TODAY AS A PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION AND PROGRAM OF AHHA TULSA. THE PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO STRENGTHEN THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES SECTOR THROUGH PARTNERSHIP. SHARED SERVICES AND ADVOCACY, WITH COUNCIL AFFILIATES SERVING AS A COLLECTIVE IMPACT GROUP FOR THE SECTOR. SERVICES OFFERED TO AFFILIATES INCLUDE PROFESSIONAL NETWORKING, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, PROMOTIONAL SUPPORT, FISCAL SPONSORSHIP AND USE OF THE HARDESTY CENTER FOR PROGRAMS, PERFORMANCES AND EVENTS.

EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS: WE DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT ARTS AND HUMANITIES PROGRAMS IN SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY SETTINGS, PROVIDING HIGH QUALITY EXPERIENCES THAT INSPIRE CREATIVITY, FURTHER LEARNING, AND FOSTER A LIFE-LONG COMMITMENT TO THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES. ARTISTS IN THE SCHOOLS (AIS) CONNECTS PROFESSIONAL TEACHING, PRESENTING, AND PERFORMING ARTISTS IN ALL DISCIPLINES WITH SCHOOLS THROUGH CLASSROOM PRESENTATIONS. AIS REACHES MULTIPLE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND OVER 35,000 STUDENTS ANNUALLY. SUMMER PROGRAMS INVITE AREA SCHOOL TEACHERS TO PARTICIPATE IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, CALLED THE CREATIVE CLASSROOM INSTITUTE. ANY GIVEN CHILD- TULSA, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE JOHN F. KENNEDY CENTER, IS A COLLECTIVE IMPACT PROGRAM OF 13 LOCAL ARTS PARTNERS AND TULSA PUBLIC SCHOOLS (TPS) THAT BRINGS ART FOCUSED FIELD TRIPS AND CLASSROOM CURRICULUM TO EVERY CHILD IN TPS GRADS K-8. ANY GIVEN CHILD- TULSA SERVES NEARLY 30,000 STUDENTS ANNUALLY.

PUBLIC PROGRAMS: WE OPERATE THE AHHA HARDESTY CENTER IN THE TULSA ARTS DISTRICT, OFFERING A VARIETY OF ARTS AND HUMANITES PROGRAMS TO THE PUBLIC. WE OFFER CREATIVE CAMPS, CLASSES, AND WORKSHOPS IN MULTIPLE DISCIPLINES TO ALL AGES. THE STUDIO AT AHHA TULSA IS A FINE ARTS CENTERED MAKER SPACE THAT IS AVAILABLE TO ALL VISITORS DURING THE CENTER'S OPEN HOURS. WE ALSO PRODUCE TULSA MAYFEST, THE COMMUNITY'S LARGEST ARTS AND CULTURE FESTIVAL DURING THE FIRST WEEK IN MAY EACH YEAR, FEATURING OVER 150 VISUAL ARTISTS AND OVER 40 PERFORMING ARTISTS AND GROUPS. MAYFEST IS A FREE FESTIVAL THAT WELCOMES OVER 125,000 VISITORS EACH YEAR.

EXHIBITIONS: THE AHHA HARDESTY CENTER FEATURES MULTIPLE GALLERY SPACES FOR EXHIBITING ARTWORK. THE FIRST FLOOR GALLERY IS A CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE THAT FEATURES A ROTATING MIX OF LOCAL, REGIONAL, AND NATIONAL VISUAL ARTISTS THROUGHOUT EACH YEAR. THE SECOND FLOOR IS THE EXPERIENCE, AN ARTIST-DRIVEN, LARGE-SCALE, FULLY IMMERSIVE ART INSTALLATION THAT INVITES PARTICIPANTS TO EXPLORE A FANTASTICAL MULTIMEDIA ENVIRONMENT THROUGH SIGHT, SOUND, MOVEMENT, AND TOUCH. THE COMMUNITY GALLERY ON THE THIRD FLOOR SHOWCASES VARYING EXHIBITIONS FEATURING COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, SUCH AS A PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT OF THE IRON GATE SOUP KITCHEN AND FOOD PANTRY.