2020 Honoree: Community Service in the Arts Award

Susan and Jeremy Shamos
Susan and Jeremy Shamos

Dedicated and visionary philanthropists, Susan and Jeremy Shamos, have been leaders in supporting Denver’s arts and cultural landscape for over 30 years. Always stepping forward and encouraging others along the way, the Shamos’ have whole-heartedly devoted their time, energy and talents to various organizations and projects across Denver.

Jeremy and Susan Shamos have provided support for multiple arts organizations throughout Denver including the Colorado Children’s Chorale, The Denver Art Museum, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, the Museum of Contemporary Art, RedLine Contemporary Art Gallery, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, and DU’s Lamont School and Vicki Myhryn Gallery. However, their most notable contributions are to Opera Colorado and Curious Theater Company. Their deep-rooted patronage for these institutions, and their dedicated volunteer leadership at the Board level, has been the spark of innovation needed to ensure the continued success and sustainability for these two cultural landmarks.

The couple has been instrumental in the growth of Opera Colorado for nearly three decades. Initially as season ticket holders and contributors to long-term ardent board members. Serving as co-chairs between 2004 and 2007, Jeremy insists that Susan took the lead during that time to ensure the Opera and the citizens of Denver would have world-class opera for generations to come. Even after stepping down as board members, the duo has continued to serve the organization through commissioned pieces and participation on the Artistic Visioning Committee as part of an extensive strategic planning process. Wanting to recognize their numerous and significant contributions, Opera Colorado has named both Susan and Jeremy as Honorary Directors.

At the loving urging of Susan, Jeremy served as Chair of the Friends of Denver’s Historic Auditorium Theater in 2002. It was here that the pair was instrumental in providing leadership and financial support for passing the bond issue to renovate the Auditorium that became the Ellie Caulkins Opera House. With his ability to spearhead community fundraising, Jeremy helped raise the additional $17 million required to finish the project. He and Susan, along with friends Debbie and Jerry Tepper, also donated the magnificent Chihuly chandelier that graces the lobby of the opera house.

Always working as a team, Jeremy and Susan led Denver’s efforts to host the 2008 National Performing Arts Convention (a convening of 30 national associations for theatre, orchestras, opera, chamber music, choral music, and dance). This convention would be the catalyst needed to bring Denver’s performing arts scene to national and international recognition. The Shamos’ devoted countless hours sharing their passion for Colorado’s art culture, encouraging others to join in to raise the needed funds. Denver proudly hosted the convention, which brought 5,000 artists and arts professionals from around the country and the world.

Jeremy has also been an integral part of Curious Theater Company, where he led the campaign to buy the company’s building in the Golden Triangle. Having served on its board for over ten years and as Chair from 2010-2015, his impact reached beyond financial support and routine volunteer hours. He stretched the Company to think out of the box and prioritized developing its long-term sustainability while helping build artistic greatness. He has now rejoined the Board and is serving as Vice President of the Board and Honorary Lifetime President.

On other fronts, Jeremy also serves as a trustee on the Theater Communications Group’s “National Council for American Theater” and the Colorado New Play Festival.  He served on the boards of New York based Acting Company and St. John’s College in Santa Fe, NM and Annapolis, MD.  Susan is an advocate for school-based counseling and currently serves as Director of Centus School Counseling. She also serves on the Board for St. John’s College and is a former trustee at Denver’s St. Elizabeth’s School, an independent school devoted to serving an economically and racially diverse family community.

The Shamoses have provided vision and ambition to nonprofit leaders to achieve bigger and greater accomplishments than could ever be imagined. They are daring and energized, which inspires those around them, and they are able to find the magic and beauty in every project they are a part of. It is through this unique and incredible combination of gifts and talents that Jeremy and Susan Shamos have changed the backdrop and future success of Colorado’s most important arts and culture institutions. They are also, it should not go without saying, extraordinary human beings whose sense of humor, ebullience and commitment to their community and their family, even exceeds their financial generosity.