For more than 40 years, supporting the arts has simply been part of who Vermilion is. It shows up in the arts organizations we partner with, the relationships we invest in, and a shared belief that creativity is essential to how communities connect, grow, and thrive.
It’s core to who we are.
In April, the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts gathered over 600 business leaders, artists, and community partners from across the state to recognize this year’s Business for the Arts Award honorees, and Vermilion was thrilled to be named a 2026 Arts & Business Partnership Award Winner.
This recognition means a lot, mostly because it reflects work that doesn’t happen overnight. It builds over time, through partnerships, trust, and a shared commitment to the communities we’re all part of. We were especially grateful to share the celebratory moment with Vermilion’s founder, Bob Morehouse, his partner Noel Maye, and longtime client partners (and friends) Shale Wong and Emma Gilchrist from the Farley Health Policy Center at CU Anschutz, and Maye Cordero from the Boulder Chamber.
Before Thad and I went onstage to accept the award (complete with a walk-up song), CBCA shared a short video about Vermilion’s commitment to the arts. It offered a quick snapshot of our history, with snippets of us talking about working in and for the arts, and the play and joy our team brings to it (and it brings to them).
What Arts & Business Partnership Looks Like in Practice
We’ve supported a range of organizations across Colorado’s creative community, including:
Dairy Arts Center; Boulder Philharmonic; Friends of Chamber Music; Museum of Boulder; Denver Film; Community Foundation Boulder County; Boulder International Film Festival; Arts Alliance for Health
Each engagement is different, and together they reflect how we show up as strong partners together. Our role is to bring focus and momentum to the work. That might mean building a brand that better reflects an organization’s mission or creating websites and marketing that make it easier for people to engage.
Some partnerships take shape over years. Our work with the Boulder International Film Festival has spanned more than a decade, and has evolved alongside the organization as its audience, ambitions, and role in the community have grown. In the arts especially, we’ve found that the strongest creative partnerships are built through continuity: a steady understanding of the organization, its voice, and the people it exists to serve.
“Vermilion has played a transformative role in elevating our festival’s visibility, reach, and impact, helping us connect with new audiences and deepen our relationship with our community…Their ongoing commitment to BIFF exemplifies the spirit of partnership that the CBCA Awards were created to honor.”
- Robin and Kathy Beeck, co-founders of BIFF
In other cases, the work is about clarifying something complex. Our partnership with the Arts Alliance for Health sits at the intersection of arts, healthcare, and policy, positioning artists as contributors to community health.
“Vermilion’s brand identity is inviting and inclusive, conveying the purpose of the Alliance, championing artists as powerful community health advocates and dynamic cultural ambassadors to mobilize action towards healing and social justice.”
- Dr. Shale Wong, Executive Director at Farley Health Policy Center at CU Anschutz
A Simple Invitation: Why Supporting the Arts Matters (for Businesses, Too)
Supporting the arts helps sustain the creative energy that strengthens communities and deepens how people connect to the places they call home. That support doesn’t have to be grand, and you don’t have to be an agency or a sponsor to support the arts. It can be as simple as showing up: attending a performance, visiting a museum, supporting a local festival, or making space for creativity in everyday life.
That participation matters. It’s what keeps the ecosystem moving. Because championing the arts isn’t just fun work; it’s essential.
