What is Arts@302

Arts@302 is an arts education facility for all ages and skill levels, and the premier destination for all things creative in Broken Arrow.

Although Arts@302 is relatively new to the community, officially opening in August 2022, it's been years in the making, according to Executive Director Jennifer Deal.

"Arts@302 is a community art center," Deal said. "It was in the works for almost 20 years before everything fell into place to make it a reality."

Deal says the idea of a community arts center originated nearly two decades ago from the Broken Arrow Arts and Humanities Council, which later became ArtsOK, the Regional Arts Alliance of Broken Arrow.

"The people that were on the board at that time talked to some city people, and talked to some school district people, and the idea just kind of ballooned from there until it became us," she said.

Deal says the goal is for Arts@302 to be a creative hub for the community. Its 2,000-foot gallery showcases the works of local artists, contemporary and traditional.

"We have five studio spaces which support classes in clay, fibers, drawing, painting, you name it," Deal said. "And we have programming for preschool kids through adults."

Arts@302 has five sessions a year and offers between 30 and 50 classes per session.

"We just have a little bit of everything," Deal said. "It's awesome!"

Arts@302 hosts regular art shows featuring artists from Broken Arrow and Tulsa. And on the second Saturday of the month, they bring in a local artist to host free art activities. Deal encourages anyone who has never been to the center to come and visit.

"They can arrange tours with one of my amazing staff people, and we can talk about what they want to get plugged into or find interesting," Deal said. "Whether they're a connoisseur of art and want to come look at art, whether they want to dabble, whether they have children or grandchildren that might want to get involved in some way, or whether they just like a fun party, I think we can find something that just hits right where they're at."

Looking forward to the 2026 General Obligation Bond package, Deal says there is a need to build a larger pottery studio. With their available space, the classes fill up rapidly.

"We really need to grow that space," she said. "We can easily double the number of students that we can fit into those pottery classes."

They would also like to expand the facility's large rooms to accommodate youth choir and drama performances.

"We have a program for kids with opportunity gaps, and we feel like the enlargement might allow us to have a space they can call their own," Deal said. "They could decorate and put up art all over the place, so it feels like home to them. It's amazing, you think five studios is a lot of space to offer classes, but it's amazing how quickly those get totally full."

Deal says Arts@302 is an important space for the creative community in Broken Arrow.

"To me, the arts are so important in a community because they bring color to our world," she said. "They bring beautiful sounds to our world; they bring meaning and depth to our world with the dramatics or with poetry."

Arts@302 is designed to benefit people of all ages and skill levels.

"I think we are very, very blessed in Broken Arrow to have such an amazing community and have a group of people that care so passionately," Deal said. "One of the things that I love as I talk to people in the community is how passionate they are about making Broken Arrow into a place where you can work, play, and grow."

Arts@302 is helping foster that growth.

In 2014, Broken Arrow voters approved $1.4 million dollars to build a creative arts center in the Rose District. Those bond dollars were coupled with fundraising efforts to construct the building that houses Arts@302, the Brown-Kimbrough Center for Arts, Innovation, and Creativity on Main Street. It is yet another example of the voters' history of approving bond issues in Broken Arrow.

Through community surveys and public forums, the City of Broken Arrow provides residents with the opportunity to voice their opinions on proposed projects designed to improve streets, parks, public safety, public facilities, stormwater management, and drainage systems. The General Obligation bond election is set for April 2026.

Deal spoke about the impact voting can make on the community.

"It's so important for people to get out and vote so they can communicate what things they are really excited and passionate about, and what they think will add to the quality of life for this town," Deal said. "It's already amazing, but, you know, we're growing by leaps and bounds, and we need to grow very intentionally and in ways that the community can get excited about. And they just improve what we're offering already."

For more information on programming and class times go to Arts@302.