TULSA, Okla. — The roar of an engine on a neighboring runway permeates through the resting planes inside Tulsa Air and Space Museum (TASM) on January 10.
But this time last year, the noise of financial woes caused a disturbance with museum leadership.
"As everyone knows, when you have a building and a facility there's constant repairs," Executive Director Tonya Blansett told 2 News. "So it's been wonderful and a blessing to have that additional funding."
The additional funding was a $300,000 grant from the American Rescue Plan Act to remedy 2022's budget shortfall.
The persisting hurdle, Blansett explains, is trying to attain a tax exemption. TASM pays sales tax, and lots of it - despite being a 501(c) nonprofit.
Long-awaited accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums would fix that.
"That allows us to put those dollars right back into more exhibits, back into the museum and our programming," Blansett added.
Those aren't the only ambitions museum leadership has in 2024. Several renovations are in the works, like a new kids playground paid by ARPA money from City of Tulsa.
There's also the full-size MC-80 American Airlines jet awaiting a new HVAC system and repaired cockpit in the coming weeks, new interactive flight exhibits and flight simulators, archive digitization, and the museum's hopeful expansion.
The museum said it can technically host retired military planes to fly in. It just doesn't have the space. The plan this year is to build a ramp and hangar to finally park guest planes for display and tours.
Blansett and board of directors chair Ret. Col. Daniel Marticello said fundraising for the ramp and hangar is a top priority.
"That's a huge draw and an inspirational kind of event for students looking at the aviation industry as a career," Marticello said via Zoom.
"Once again, just adding more touch points of inspiration and expanding our offerings all the way up to the college level," Blansett said.
Blansett added the American Alliance of Museums will let them know of their accreditation and tax-exemption status this fall.
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