Lexi Sugiyama
TPAC is BACK BY AMANDA NICHOLS
Have you longed for that feeling? That feeling you get when the musicians are finishing up their warmups, the lights begin to dim, everyone settles in and all of the anticipation builds until the moment the show begins. Then — all at once — that very first line or note breaks, and everyone in the theatre is sent on a journey together. Did you miss it? We did. 8
Sept em b e r 2021 I N T E R MIS SION
My colleagues and I at the TPAC are lucky people. We get to devote our time and energy to ensuring that feeling persists in Tulsa. And we take that duty very seriously. We are a passionate group of people who believe deeply in the power of art. It’s why we do what we do. It’s why our mission statement is “To be the catalyst for performing arts experiences by facilitating and delivering excellent local, national and international programming for diverse audiences.” For 15 months, we struggled to fulfill that duty in a world where in-person performances were suddenly dangerous. Determined as ever, we created a new type of event: Arts in the Air, a free, outdoor series of performances, and we finally managed to get a bit of that inperson feeling — that bond between performer and audience — back. Now, as the world settles into a new normal, we can get back to what we do
best: providing incredible experiences to our community, experiences that bring us all together after a year of being pulled apart. And as we work toward building our momentum back, the true impact of the performing arts on everything from our collective spirit to our economy is clearer than ever before. According to studies done by Americans for the Arts, 69% of the American population believe the arts “lift [them] up beyond everyday experiences” and 81% say the arts provide a “positive experience in a troubled world.” Those studies also show Americans recognize that the arts unify communities. In fact, 72% of our country agree that “the arts unify our communities regardless of age, race and ethnicity.” And 73% agree that the arts “help [them] understand other cultures better” — a perspective observed across all demographic and economic categories.
