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Interior of the Oklahoma State Capitol

About the Oklahoma Arts Council

In 1965, Governor Henry Bellmon and the Oklahoma State Legislature established the Oklahoma Arts Council in response to a national movement to make the arts accessible to all Americans. Establishing the Oklahoma Arts Council allowed the State of Oklahoma to receive federal funding from the National Endowment for the Arts to support arts activities across the state. For more than 50 years, this system of federal, state, and private support has given Oklahomans in communities statewide access to the transforming power of the arts.

Download our most recent Impact Report

Our Strategic Plan

Download the 2021-2025 Oklahoma Arts Council Strategic Plan

Every five years, the Oklahoma Arts Council creates a new strategic plan outlining the mission, vision, guiding principles, values, and goals that will guide the work of the agency. In March 2021, the Governor-appointed Oklahoma Arts Council board approved a new strategic plan that will guide the agency through 2025. The strategic plan is the result of a comprehensive and inclusive process that included invaluable input from Oklahomans representing diverse communities statewide. Learn how we created the strategic plan.

Our Mission

The Oklahoma Arts Council leads, cultivates, and amplifies the transformative power of the arts for all Oklahomans and their communities.

Our Vision

The Oklahoma Arts Council envisions a future where:

 

What We Do

 

Highlights in Oklahoma Arts Council history: