Tulsa Foundation For Architecture

TULSA FOUNDATION FOR ARCHITECTURE CHAMPIONS THE ART OF GOOD DESIGN AND CELEBRATES OKLAHOMA'S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE THROUGH EDUCATION, ADVOCACY AND ARCHIVES.

THE FIRST LEG OF TFA'S MISSION IS EDUCATION. TFA LAUNCHED THREE NEW PUBLIC PROGRAMS IN 2023 AND NINE NEW TOUR OFFERINGS AS WELL AS FORMED 39 NEW COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP THAT HELPED US EXECUTE OUR PROGRAMS AND TOURS (BOTH NEW AND EXISTING). TFA PUBLIC PROGRAMS SERVED 3016 DIVERSE GUESTS IN 2023 (A NUMBER OF WHOM HAD NEVER BEFORE INTERACTED WITH TFA). TFA PUBLIC PROGRAMS GENERATED $75,777 IN GROSS REVENUE. TFA TOURS SERVED 4090 GUESTS IN 2023. GROSS REVENUE FROM TOURS WAS $81,742. TOUR AND PROGRAM PARTICIPANT SURVEY RESULTS INDICATE THAT WE MET OR EXCEEDED ALL OF OUR DESIRED PROGRAMMATIC OUTCOMES. THESE OUTCOMES INCLUDE INCREASING PARTICIPANTS' KNOWLEDGE OF TULSA'S ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY, ARCHITECTURAL STYLES, TULSA'S HISTORY, AND INCREASING PARTICIPANTS' CIVIC PRIDE. TFA VOLUNTEERS SPENT 2303 HOURS SUPPORTING TFA PROGRAMS AND TOURS IN 2023. TFA ALSO GREATLY INCREASED THE NUMBER OF YOUTH WE SERVE THROUGH A NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH ANY GIVEN CHILD TULSA. THROUGH THIS PARTNERSHIP WE SERVED NEARLY 3000 TPS 6TH GRADE STUDENTS THROUGH A HANDS-ON DESIGN THINKING FIELD TRIP. THE SECOND LEG OF TFA'S MISSION IS ARCHIVES. TFA'S ARCHIVES CONTAIN OVER 60,000 ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS, RENDERINGS, TRACINGS, PHOTOGRAPHS/SLIDES, BOUND PERIODICALS, SETS OF SPECIFICATIONS, AND BOOKS THAT DOCUMENT THE HISTORY OF ART DECO AND OTHER STYLES OF ARCHITECTURE IN THE CITY OF TULSA AND IN THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA. TFA SECURED $47,000 IN FUNDING TO SUPPORT THE GEORGE R. KRAVIS II ARCHITECTURAL ARCHIVES - $25,000 FROM THE RAYMOND AND BESSIE KRAVIS FOUNDATION, $20,000 FROM THE OKLAHOMA HISTORICAL SOCIETY, AND $2000 IN REQUIRED MATCHING FUNDS FROM W DESIGN. A HIGHLY QUALIFIED CONTRACT ARCHIVIST, MALINDA BLANK, WAS RETAINED FOR A YEAR IN 2023.USING GRANT FUNDS, MUCH NEEDED ARCHIVAL SOFTWARE AND EQUIPMENT WAS UPGRADED.TFA PUT SYSTEMS IN PLACE TO ENSURE OUR ARCHIVAL PROCESSES ARE IN LINE WITH AAM BEST PRACTICES.TFA SCANNED AND DIGITIZED 7779 INDIVIDUAL ITEMS IN 2023 AND ACCESSIONED 6420 INDIVIDUAL PIECES INTO OUR COLLECTION. THIS WORK WAS CONDUCTED BY OUR CONTRACT ARCHIVIST AS WELL AS OUR VOLUNTEER ARCHIVE COMMITTEE, WHICH MEETS REGULARLY ON WEDNESDAY NIGHTS FROM 5:30-7:30. TFA ARCHIVE VOLUNTEERS SPENT 604 HOURS SUPPORTING OUR ARCHIVES IN 2023. THE THIRD LEG OF TFA'S MISSION IS ADVOCACY. IN 1995 A GROUP OF ARCHITECTS AND PRESERVATIONISTS FORMED A NONPROFIT TO PROVIDE A CREDIBLE VOICE AND EXPERTISE IN THE AREA OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION. TODAY, OUR ADVOCACY WORK INCLUDES PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION, THE OKLAHOMA PRESERVATION COMMISSION, AND THE TULSA PRESERVATION OFFICE. WE STAY UP TO DATE ON HISTORIC PRESERVATION INITIATIVES AND HISTORIC TAX CREDITS AND REGULARLY SHARE OUR KNOWLEDGE WITH THE PUBLIC THROUGH SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS, TOURS AND SOCIAL MEDIA. IN 2023, TFA'S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ALSO SERVED AS A VOICE FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION ON VARIOUS COMMITTEES, SUCH AS THE TULSA ROUTE 66 COMMISSION AND THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE STAKEHOLDER COMMITTEE. TFA ALSO INCLUDED INFORMATION ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION IN OUR TOURS AND PROGRAMS, AS APPROPRIATE.