Philanthropist Jan Shrem, who left a legacy of art at UC Davis for generations, dies at 94

Jan Shrem, whose passion for art, philanthropy and eponymous museum were synonymous with art and art education at UC Davis, has died.

Officials from the University of California, Davis, announced Shrem’s death on Thursday. Shrem died in September at the age of 94.

“Jan’s zest for life inspired everyone who had the pleasure of knowing her, and her love of the arts forever transformed our community,” said UC Davis Chancellor Gary S. May.

Shrem, together with his wife, international art patron Maria Manetti Shrem, left their legacy forever engraved in the Manetti Shrem Art Museum. dynamic contemporary art gallery and educational space today they are the flagships of the campus, along with the neighboring Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts.

Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Art Museum opened in 2016. The area is free for everyone.

“Our giving philosophy is based on simple concepts,” Shrem said when giving the name gift to the couple in 2011. “We believe that education and the arts should be accessible to all people, and that curious, open-mindedness should be nurtured and supported.”

This arts education mission quickly became a mainstay, and Shrem’s imprint has always been present on the Davis campus. In the museum bearing his name, classrooms, a conference hall and an art studio share the same space with the exhibited works.

“Jan was truly one of a kind,” said Rachel Teagle, the museum’s founding director. “His generosity, infectious enthusiasm, and adventurous spirit are embodied in every aspect of our museum.”

The couple established what would become the most comprehensive artist-in-residence program of its kind in the country. California Studio: Manetti Shrem Artist Residencies.

In May, Maria Manetti Shrem funded eight new grants and programs in art, art history and sustainable design. Her $20 million donation will create the Maria Manetti Shrem Arts District within the College of Letters and Sciences. The ribbon cutting is planned for late January 2025.

“Maria and Jan’s generosity was nothing short of transformational at UC Davis,” said Shaun B. Keister, vice chancellor for development and alumni relations. “Jan’s memory will live on as an example of philanthropy that will profoundly influence future artists and inspire all students, regardless of their field of study.”

Jan Isaac Shrem was born in Colombia in 1930, the son of Jewish-Lebanese parents. He immigrated to the United States at age 16, but moved to Japan after his college years at the University of Utah and UCLA. He founded a company specializing in the sale of English encyclopedias, engineering and art books, which would grow to 50 offices throughout Japan.

“When I was in college, I used to sell encyclopedias door to door,” Shrem said. Oral history for the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. “I had an infectious passion for books. I was able to make a lot of money by selling books. While I was studying for my master’s degree at UCLA, I met a Japanese girl. I felt in love and asked her to marry me, but she said she needed her parents’ permission.

“He took me to Japan, but his family said, ‘No.’ That’s why he left me, but if I had gone back with him, I wouldn’t have been able to make a fortune in the book business in Japan.”

He stayed in Japan for 13 years and met his first wife, Mitzuko. Before his death in 2010, they had been married for 40 years and lived in France and Italy, where the couple became interested in wine, Shrem said.

The two returned to California and Napa Valley in the 1980s. Clos Pegase Winery It would soon become known as a showcase where the painting and sculpture collection was exhibited.

In its commemorative article, the university stated that Shrem and Manetti first became friends and bonded over art, music and wine. They were to be married in San Francisco on February 14, 2012. Shrem sold the Calistoga winery the following year.

Napa Valley neighbor Margrit Mondavi, wife of Napa winemaking legend Robert Mondavi, whose influence is also deeply felt on the UC Davis campus, helped connect Shrem and Manetti to the university. Margrit Mondavi died in 2016 at the age of 91.

Mondavis gave the naming gift to the Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts at UC Davis. An additional $2 million was donated for the contemporary art museum. He then called Shrem and Manetti.

“Jan Shrem found her greatest inspiration in art, and her efforts to share that inspiration at UC Davis will be felt for generations,” said Estella Atekwana, dean of the College of Letters and Sciences. “He was a true partner in making education and the arts accessible to everyone.”

Maria Manetti Shrem requests donations to UC Davis in lieu of flowers Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Art Museum.