Oklahoma Arts Council
FY 2027 Budget Hearing Presentation
Submitted by:
Amber Sharples, Executive Director Chandra Boyd, Deputy Director
April Kowardy, Finance Director
Amber Sharples
Executive Director
Agency Vision, Mission and Core Values
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Vision: The Oklahoma Arts Council envisions a future where:
•All communities are celebrated and enriched through creative expression
•Artists, arts organizations, and arts education thrive through robust public support
•The arts are recognized as essential to education and economic vitality
Mission:
The Oklahoma Arts Council leads, cultivates, and amplifies the transformative power of the arts for all Oklahomans and their communities.
Core Values:
•Accountability
•Creativity
•Excellence
•Partnership
Accomplishments
Top accomplishments for FY 2025 – FY 2026
Grants/Arts Sector Investment:
Visual and Public Art:
Arts Education and Workforce Development:
Special Initiatives:
Bob Wills’ Day at the Capitol in partnership with the Oklahoma Historical Society. Held Cornerstone Conversations across the state, getting input from Oklahoma to shape our new five-year strategic plan for 2026-2030.
| Analysis of Agency Challenges | | |||
| Challenge Description | Current Actions (Briefly describe how the agency is currently addressing the challenge.) | Planned Actions (Briefly describe how the agency plans to address the challenge going forward.) | ||
1 | Federal Funding: Annual Federal Funding Uncertainty National Endowment for the Arts (20%+ of FY2026 budget, approx. $1 million) | Drawing down nearly 95% of all federal funding in FY2026 and distributing across agency grant programs and staffing expenditures in early calendar year 2026 | Building a plan for partial reduction and/or full elimination of state partnership annual federal funding in FY2027 (effective July 1, 2026) | ||
2 | New, recurring expenditure: Annual rent expenditures to return to the Jim Thorpe Building post renovation. | Reduced agency office footprint by more than 30% from original plan; Co-sharing conference rooms, workroom and breakroom and other agency office spaces to reduce rent expenditure cost | Adjusting agency timeline for move-in to reduce annual expenditure for FY2027; leveraging new office space for public meetings as possible to minimize expenditures and maximize office use | ||
3 | New, one-time expenditure: Furnishings for newly renovated office space | Complete furnishings for the office space are not included in the base furnishings package; leadership strategically keeping furnishing and moving costs to essential purchases required to return to Jim Thorpe building | Analyzing agency needs across the agency to purchase key furnishings one-time only, reducing any future furnishing costs for an extended period of time | ||
4 | Staff Retention Strategy: Market-based salary adjustments for agency staff (figure based on 6% increase) (Minimizing Turnover Costs and Agency’s Human Capital Investment) | Agency has strategically left 4 full-time positions vacant (Curator of Education and Engagement; Director of Creative Placemaking and Community Arts; Director of Rural Arts and Creative Community Outreach, and Director of Collections Management); specific programs and/or initiatives have been suspended; key work shared by multiple staff and/or changed to part-time temporary including Capitol Tours Manager and Collections Manager) | Review and realignment of departments, positions, and agency grants, programs, and initiatives. All areas of the agency are currently under review by leadership, assessing federal, state and restricted funding resources | ||
5 | Technology: Artificial Intelligence, sufficient technological hardware and software | Drafted internal AI policy for agency; currently key staff training on AI best practices; transitioned to Fluxx grant software platform for better data collection and analysis of agency’s 20+ grant programs, impact, gaps, and future planning purposes. Leveraging data for more informed decision-making. | Full staff training on AI planned for early 2026; assessment of technology and software needs scheduled for spring 2026 | ||
Savings & Efficiencies (Current or Planned)
Savings or Efficiency Name | Brief description of how savings were achieved | Savings in Unit of Measurement* | FY 2025 (Actual $ Savings) | FY 2026 (Projected $ Savings) | FY 2027 (Projected $ Savings) |
Inefficiency in Finance/Administration: ABS Service Contract Canceled | Agency eliminated ABS agreement with OMES to reduce miscoding of agency expenditures, increase accuracy, improve efficiency and payments to grantees and vendors for services to Oklahomans. | Finance Director, Grants Director and other key staff spent hours per month in the reconciliation process for miscoded payments in PeopleSoft. Greater budget accuracy and improvement of state, federal, and grant funds, better budget to actuals for greater budget management throughout fiscal year. | $0 | $22,860 | $1,628 |
Technology: Grants Management System Optimization (Fluxx System) | The agency had a one-time investment in transitioning from in-house built database system to a professional grade grants management system. | Savings include administrative hours, error correction; staff spends less time writing database script, cleaning up database issues, and eliminates duplicative data entry; auto-generated and template contracts, payment and report reminders, efficiency in grantee communications; greater electronic signatures, document storage, and digital files, share data with finance systems to reduce manual reconciliation. | $25,000 | $33,332 | $33,332 |
Facilities and Overhead: Office Footprint Reduction | Reduced agency footprint space and shared space with other state agency including conference rooms and other efficiencies. | The agency reduced our overall office footprint by more than 30% from our original plan; sharing 5,850 square feet with other agency to reduce costs. | $0 | $0 | $40,865 |
Travel Prioritization | Aligned travel with multiple objectives and strategic site visits across departments per trip. | Department leaders have been working with program staff to coordinate and encourage multiple trips, regional workshops and site visits, among others, to maximize agency outreach and reduce expenditures per trip. | $1,996 | $12,522 | $633 |
Strategic Program Alignment | Sunset of programs such as the Cultural District Initiative, suspension of biennial statewide arts conference, clarified core versus optional programs to protect the most essential functions during budget instability; prioritized programs that had diverse funding opportunities such as Creative Aging and public art. | Agency has left several full-time positions vacant; specific programs and/or initiatives have been suspended; key work shared by multiple staff and/or changed to part-time temporary positions. | $49,750 | $183,752 | $295,144 |
* Hours, FTE, square feet, etc.
Agency Goals and Key Performance Metrics
Goal | Metric | FY 25 Target | FY 25 Actuals | FY 26 Target | |
1 | Number of students receiving instruction from OAC grant support for arts education programs | Support the implementation of arts education as part of the core curriculum in PreK-12 schools (Arts Education) | 265,896 | 279,890 | 293,885 |
2 | Number of individuals reached through agency grant programs | Expand access to arts experiences for all Oklahomans | 3,324,327 | 3,499,292 | 3,674,257 |
3 | Total dollar amount of investment through agency grant programs | Strengthen the arts in Oklahoma through increased grant funding for the arts, capacity building of rural arts organizations, and leadership development | $2,837,887 | $2,987,203 | $3,136,563 |
4 | Number of artists, part-time, and full-time equivalent jobs supported | Support mid- to large-size arts nonprofits’ employment of artists and part-time or full-time equivalent jobs as part of a robust arts industry in Oklahoma | 20,491 | 21,569 | 22,647 |
5 | Number of adults and youth served through community-based arts education | Support opportunities for lifelong learning through the arts, including individuals with disabilities, programs serving vulnerable populations such as Arts and the Military Initiative, Creative Aging, and others (Arts Learning in Communities) | 269,960 | 284,168 | 298,376 |
Projects for FY 2026
Grants/Arts Sector Investment:
Visual and Public Art:
Arts Education and Workforce Development:
wellbeing techniques. This event bridges arts and health sectors, bringing together artists, organizations, healthcare professionals, public health leaders, and funders.
Rural and Creative Community Outreach:
Marketing and Communications:
Special Initiatives: Draft and implement the 2026-2030 Strategic Plan. Expand programs to celebrate America250 and the unique cultural assets of Oklahoma and the nation. Creation of two anchor murals in rural Oklahoma towns as key sites along the Mother Road in preparation for MuralFest in conjunction with the Route 66 Centennial Celebration. Collaborating with Lt. Governor’s office on MuralFest plus numerous events, celebrations, and programs that support the cultural tourism. Additional plans include the World Cup/FIFA, the 2028 Olympics and other milestone events that will drive cultural tourism and economic development via the arts in our state.
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Projects for FY 2027
Grants/Arts Sector Investment:
Visual and Public Art:
Arts Education and Workforce Development:
Rural and Creative Community Outreach:
Special Initiatives:
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Total Historic Actual Expenditures
(FY 2021-25) and Current Year Budget (FY 2026)
Explanation of Changes and Trends
nonprofit sector.
(FY2023), 15% (FY2024), 5.96% (FY2025), and 9% (FY2026). Increases have
included recurring expenditures to address inflation on the arts nonprofit sector and creative workforce industry. Increases have also included one-time funds for specific program initiatives and projects in arts education programs and Capitol risk mitigation and artwork storage equipment needs.
Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) in the amount of $254,001 in FY2024.
Appropriated | $2.8M | $3.0M | $3.2M | $3.7M | $4.0M | $4.3M |
Revolving | $434.1K | $823.6K | $756.9K | $1.3M | $273.0K | $364.6K |
Federal | $3.8M | $1.7M | $881.4K | $1.0M | $8.6M | $5.3M |
Total | $7.0M | $5.6M | $4.9M | $6.1M | $12.8M | $10.0M |
FTE | 14 | 15 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 18 |
Historical Actuals and Current Year Budget by Fund Type
FY 2026
FY 2021 FY 2022 FY 2023 FY 2024 FY 2025 Current
Budget
40%
54%
66%
62%
31%
43%
54%
31%
18%
17%
67%
53%
6%
15%
16%
22%
2%
4%
-
5
10
15
20
25
$0.0K
$2.0M
$4.0M
$6.0M
$8.0M
$10.0M
$12.0M
$14.0M
FTE
Expenditures
Historic Actual Expenditures
and Current Year Budget
Estimated Impact of Federal Funding Changes
Program Name | Federal Agency | Description of expected change (s) (i.e. change in state match, admin costs, program requirements or client eligibility, etc.) | Actual FY 25 Total Federal Funding Received ($) | Projected FY 26 Total Federal Funding To Be Received ($) | Estimated FY 27 Total Federal Funding To Be Received ($) |
Annual State Partnership Agreement Grant | National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) | Possibly filling in the gap of any federal funding loss starting in FY2027, including funds for Folk/Traditional Arts and Poetry Out Loud programs in schools. | $1,002,100 | $1,018,938 | $1,002,100 |
Arts and Health | NEA | One-time funding | $0 | $75,000 | $50,000 |
America250 | NEA | One-time funding | $0 | $25,000 | $0 |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | $ | $ | $ |
* Only list programs with federal funding that are expected to change. Refer to the agency’s Federal Funds Schedule in the Budget Request document.
FY 2026
Budgeted Full Time Equivalents (FTE)
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| FY 2026 Budgeted FTE |
Total FTE | 18 |
Supervisor FTE | 5 |
Supervisors to Total FTE Ratio (%) | 27% |
Current Budgeted but Unfilled FTE | 1.5 |
Appropriation History
$3.0M
$3.2M
$3.7M
$4.0M
$4.3M
$10.0M
$2.0M
$0.0K
$4.0M
$10.0M
$8.0M
$6.0M
$12.0M
FY 2022
FY 2023
FY 2024
FY 2025
FY 2026
Five-Year Appropriation History
Fiscal Year | Legislated Appropriation ($) (Includes supplementals and SRF/ARPA.) |
FY 2022 | $3,004,205 |
FY 2023 | $3,243,030 |
FY 2024 | $13,730,030 |
FY 2025 | $3,952,325 |
FY 2026 | $4,308,180 |
Appropriation Supplemental SRF
*Includes Supplemental and Statewide Recovery Fund (ARPA) appropriations.
Financial Resource Analysis
Carryover | FY 2022 | FY 2023 | FY 2024 | FY 2025 |
Total appropriated carryover amount expended ($) | $310,593 | $343,214 | $606,582 | $651,474 |
Revolving Class Fund # (Unrestricted only) | Revolving Class Fund Name (Unrestricted only) | Current cash balance ($) | Projected FY 2026 year-end cash balance ($) |
20000 | Revolving Fund | $121,663 | $111,663 |
20000 | Revolving Fund: Public Art Opt-In Projects | $2,266 | $2,266 |
20000 | Revolving Fund: Professional Development- Leadership Arts | $14,177 | $10,127 |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| Total Unrestricted Revolving Fund Cash balance: | $138,106 | $124,056 |
Historical Cash Balances | FY 2022 | FY 2023 | FY 2024 | FY 2025 |
Year End Revolving Fund Cash Balances (All Revolving Funds) | 200 fund $166,416.19 AIPP funds $3,648,535.21 | 200 fund $109,893.80 AIPP funds $3,250,921.93 | 200 fund $109,521.68 AIPP funds $3,571,155.27 | 200 fund $109,521.68 AIPP funds $3,571,155.27 |
Unrestricted funds are those that are not limited by state or federal law, rule, regulation, other legally binding method, or donor restriction.
FY 2024 – 2025 Appropriation Change Review
Purpose of appropriation increase or decrease | Amount FY 2024 | Amount FY 2025 | Total amount received FY 2024 - 25 | Total amount expended by 11/1/2025 | Included in FY 2026 approp? (Yes/No) | If not expended fully, please explain. |
Medal of Honor Plaque in the Hall of Heroes at the Capitol | $50,000 | | | $50,000 | No | |
Admin & Operations | $420,000 | | | $420,000 | Yes | |
Grants & Rural Arts Infrastructure | $17,000 | | | $17,000 | Yes | |
Betty Price Gallery (State Art Collection, 2nd Floor Capitol) | | $50,000 | $50,000 | $23,627 | No | With the recent vacancy and unfilled position of Curator of Capitol Exhibitions, the agency plans to utilize the remaining $26,373 funds for the Betty Price Gallery changing exhibitions over the next 9 months. |
Arts in Alternative Education and Arts Education Programs and Costs | | $300,000 | $300,000 | $300,000 | Yes | |
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
Totals | $487,000 | $350,000 | $350,000 | $810,627 | | |
*Do not include SRF / ARPA appropriation increases.
FY 2026 Appropriation Change Review
Purpose of appropriation increase or decrease | Amount of increase or decrease ($) | Does this need to be included in your FY 2027 appropriation? (Yes/No) | If yes, included in appropriation for same purpose? (Yes/No) | If not included for same purpose, please explain. |
Removal of Betty Price Gallery Funds | ($50,000) | No | | |
One-Time Funding: Capitol Artwork Risk Mitigation | $100,000 | No | | |
One-Time Funding: Specialized Museum Collections Storage Equipment at Jim Thorpe Building | $305,855 | No | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
Total adjustment | $355,855 | | | |
*Do not include SRF / ARPA appropriation increases.
Incremental & Supplemental Request Summary
Request Name | FY 2027 Incremental Appropriation Request Amount ($) {or FY 2026 for Supplementals} | Type of Request: Recurring, One-time, or Supplemental | |
1 | Annual NEA State Partnership Grant | $1,002,100 | Recurring (Partial or full amount at risk for funding in FY2027) |
2 | Office Rent at Jim Thorpe Building | $172,575 | Recurring |
3 | Furnishings and Additional Costs Related to Return to Jim Thorpe Building | $97,425 | One-Time |
4 | Staff Retention Strategy: Market based salary increase for staff | $150,000 | Recurring |
5 | | | |
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(1) Incremental Budget Request
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Name of Request: Annual NEA State Partnership Grant | |
Type: Recurring | Incremental Amount Requested for FY 2027: up to $1,002,100 |
Requesting up to $1,002,100 in state funds to offset potential partial or full reductions in federal support for the Annual NEA State Partnership Grant beginning in FY27. | |
(2) Incremental Budget Request
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Name of Request: Annual Office Rent at Jim Thorpe Office Building | |
Type: Recurring | Incremental Amount Requested for FY 2027: $172,575 |
Requesting $172,575 to cover a maximum annual lease cost for 17,700 square feet of exclusive leased and shared space in the Jim Thorpe Building renovation and relocation. The Oklahoma Arts Council adjusted the initial square footage request and reduced the overall agency footprint to lower costs and provide shared space with other state agencies, such as conference rooms, to provide greater cost efficiencies. Oklahoma Arts Council’s adjusted square footage is 11,850, with approximately 5,850 square feet of shared common areas in the building. The shared areas are provided at the statewide cost allocation rate. | |
(3) Incremental Budget Request
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Name of Request: Relocation Back to Jim Thorpe Office Building | |
Type: One-Time | Incremental Amount Requested for FY 2027: $97,425 |
Requesting one-time funds for furnishings and equipment necessary for the Jim Thorpe Building relocation. These items are not included within the existing project scope managed by OMES including:
storage and/or furnishings | |
(4) Incremental Budget Request
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Name of Request: Market-based Salary Adjustments for Staff | |
Type: Recurring | Incremental Amount Requested for FY 2027: $150,000 |
We are budgeting for market-based salary adjustments of 6% for staff in accordance with recommendations from OMES 2024 Compensation Report as part of an overall staff retention strategy. Attrition costs the agency $50,000 per employee lost to the private, non-profit sector. This resulted in a cost of $101,893.26 in FY2025. | |
Appendix
Accomplishments
Supporting the Sector
Below: Our grants funded a partnership between Edmond Fine Arts and a local alternative education school.
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Recharging the Arts
funds to rebuild the sector
Below: Cindy Scarberry shares how ARPA funds are getting Oklahoma Opry
“back on track.”
Challenges
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New Expenses
Staffing