VisitTulsa is pleased to share the new brand design for the Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture. In addition to a new look, the office is thrilled to announce its board of directors. The Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture, formally the Tulsa Mayor’s Film and Music Office, launched in August 2013 and was moved under VisitTulsa in the fall of 2014, along with Director Abby Kurin.
“We are excited to welcome the Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture under the umbrella of VisitTulsa,” said Ray Hoyt, president of VisitTulsa. “The addition of this office will continue to strengthen the VisitTulsa brand as well as helping develop arts and culture in the Tulsa Region.”
During the transition from the Mayor’s office and evolvement of the office to include arts and culture, a new board of directors has been named. Members of the board include: FMAC Chair Jeff Nickler (BOK Center/SMG), Incoming Chair Annina Collier (TCC Center for Creativity), Vice Chair Ray Hoyt (VisitTulsa), Former Chair Brian Paschal (Tulsa Regional Chamber), Mayor Dewey Bartlett, Eric Himan (Musician/TYPros Appointed), Deana McCloud (Woody Guthrie Center), City Councilor Blake Ewing, Mark Dempsey (Signal Factory), Stanton Doyle (George Kaiser Family Foundation), Molly Jarvis (Cherokee Nation Businesses), Anne O’Shea (Minerva Productions), Mark Stansberry (Musician/GTD Group), Susan Neal (University of Tulsa/Gilcrease Museum), and Jennifer Sterling (Rogers State University Public Television).
“I’d like to commend Mayor Dewey Bartlett on his vision and foresight to place a larger focus on film, music, arts and culture and for recognizing the economic impact that these industries can have on our community. Film and music initiatives will not only stimulate job creation but can also have a prolific impact on shaping the national perception of Tulsa,” said Jeff Nickler, Chair of the Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture and General Manager of BOK Center/SMG.
The mission of the Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture is to develop and connect resources to further grow and enhance the Region’s creative industries including film, music and arts, all while promoting Tulsa as a creative hub and cultural destination.
“This commission is what we’ve been working toward for three years through volunteer board efforts and a partnership with the chamber. I am excited about the opportunities this creates for the office of film, music, arts and culture, the new executive board, the Mayor’s film and music liaison Chris Kucharski, and many Tulsans who are involved in the effort to build up the industry, create jobs and see it thrive. I appreciate the work that has been done by this new Commission and Chamber staff,” said Mayor Dewey Bartlett.
The Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture is also thrilled to announce its membership with the Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI). Tulsa is the only city film commission in Oklahoma, and joins the AFCI network of more than 300 film commissions worldwide.
“Joining AFCI is a great next step for Tulsa’s film community. As we work to develop and grow our film scene, it’s important to be a part of an organization that connects you with other likeminded entities. With the addition of launching our new brand, we now have an identity to move forward to promote and grow our creative community,” said Abby Kurin, director of the Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture.
Kurin traveled to Los Angeles in March to attend the AFCI Locations Tradeshow to promote Tulsa, and also attended classes to further her film commissioner status.
“The Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture is an important addition to our membership,” says Kevin Clark, executive director of AFCI. “A professional, efficient city film commission is critical to any production of any size. Joining the AFCI proves their commitment to operating at the high worldwide standards the entertainment industry expects.” The primary responsibility of a film commission is to educate production companies on the benefits of utilizing local resources in the community such as production crews and talent, rental equipment, hotels, rental cars, catering services, or any number of goods and services needed while on location. AFCI is the official professional organization for film commissioners who assist film, television and video production across the globe.
While the Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture is independent from the Oklahoma Film + Music Office (OF+MO), the state film commission, the two offices collaborate and partner often. The Tulsa Film Commission also joined OF+MO as a partner at their filmmaker’s reception at the Sundance Film Festival in addition to supporting an important networking event in Los Angeles this past spring to point expatriate crew and talent back to Oklahoma, where things are booming.
“It has been a pleasure working with Abby and her team on a few special projects already and I look forward to our continued collaboration with the Tulsa Film Commission,” said OF+MO Director Tava Sofsky. “It takes dedicated, passionate people to embrace the resurgence of the arts, and we are excited to see Tulsa’s active role in growing the film and music industries in their region.”
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About the Oklahoma Film + Music Office:
Created in 1979, The Oklahoma Film + Music Office strives to share all that Oklahoma has to offer by welcoming filmmakers and music professionals to the state and by creating a network of support to develop Oklahoma’s film and music industries. For more information about the Oklahoma Film Enhancement Rebate Program or the Oklahoma Film + Music Office please visit www.okfilmmusic.org.
