Citizens of the Arts celebrated
Were it not for Chris and Joy Dinsdale, hundreds— if not thousands— of young people in small towns throughout Colorado, Nebraska andWyoming might never have been exposed to museum collections and the performing arts, including opera.
After settling in Sterling 33 years ago to raise their four children and expand their interests in agriculture, banking and commercial ventures, the Dinsdales have funded touring performances and excursions to Denver that have left lasting impressions and a hope that the youngsters will grow up to share Joy’s passion for opera, museums and live theater.
And if one of the décor elements at the dinner where the Dinsdales were feted as Citizens of the Arts for 2016 is an indication, it would seem that their dream is coming true.
On each table in the Four Seasons Hotel ballroom were handpainted cards inscribed with words and phrases the students had after experiencing a concert, exhibit or play. “Bravo!” read one. “This was awesome, lovely and exciting.” Another said: “I want to sing. I can sing.”
The Citizen of the Arts Award has been given annually since 1989 by the Fine Arts Foundation, whose president, Caroline Simpson, explains that recipients must have a long-standing commitment to the arts, demonstrated by volunteering time, talent and/ormoney.
In addition to being honored at the 2016 Jubilee, the recipients receive further recognition by being part of the receiving line at the Fine Arts Foundation Debutante Ball, which this year will take place June 18.
Murri Bishop chaired this year’s Jubilee, with help from co-chair Joyce Kelly Lapides; auction chair Mary McNicholas; adviser Lynn Wong; and a 14member committee.
Money raised at the Jubilee and the debutante ball is distributed in the form of cash grants to nonprofit arts organizations in the metro Denver area. The 25 recipients in 2015 included City Park Jazz, Stories on Stage, Wonderbound and Museo de las Americas.
The salute to the Dinsdales was led by their son Christopher, who noted that he and his siblings— brother Alex and twin sisters Jillian and Chloe, who were FAF debutantes in 2012— may have grown up “a little differently” than their big-city counterparts, “But we all share a resounding passion for the arts.”
JoyDinsdale serves on the boards of Opera Colorado and the Denver Art Museum and, with her husband, gave the gift that established theNortheastern Junior CollegeHope Scholarship. The couple, and their family-owned Bank of Colorado, were major sponsors for the Denver Art Museum’s recent Cartier exhibit.
Outside of the arts, the Dinsdales chaired a capital campaign to establish a Bonfils Blood Center branch in Sterling and are key supporters of the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance.
As president of Dinsdale Bros Inc., Chris Dinsdale oversees cattle and farming interests in Colorado, Nebraska, Utah and California. He is also a director of Pinnacle BankWyoming, Pinnacle Bancorp in Omaha and co-chair of Bank of Colorado. He has also served on the board of the National CowboyMuseum in Oklahoma City.
The evening’s entertainment included cocktail-hour music by Spinphony; after-dinner arias from the Opera Colorado Young Artists; and— in keeping with one of Joy’s favorite quotes, Oscar Wilde’s “One should either be a work of art or wear a work of art” — a showing of special-occasion clothing from Neiman Marcus.
Guests included DAMcurator Timothy Standring; Pat Pearce, the Central City Opera’s general/ artistic director; Pete and Marilyn Coors; Arlene Hirschfeld; Mile HighUnitedWay president Christine Benero; Barbara Ferguson; Jimand JaneWiltshire; Denise Snyder; Michael Swineyard and Lana Lee; Diane Huttner; Gail Nash; and previous honorees such as Marlis and Shirley Smith, Phyllis and Dr. Gary VanderArk; Liz Frawley; Sherrye Sigman Berger andNancy Parker.