An art-to-art talk with Jerry Sibal

Eight years ago, the now celebrated Fil-Am event designer and floral artist Jerry Sibal was commissioned to do the floral arrangements at a banquet to be held on Sept. 11 at the World Trade Center. He was so excited at the choice of venue and was disappointed when the banquet was moved to another venue, a bigger one, at the last minute.

On the day of the banquet, the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center collapsed after a terror attack, and Jerry feels his second lease on life meant he had to brighten up the world, through his work, as a form of thanksgiving.

“I feel I have a mission now,” smiles the bespectacled Jerry, a former folk dance and Chinese Art teacher (among his prominent students was Rachy Cuna, “the floral architect of the Philippines.”)

Aside from sharing his talent — and how — Jerry believes he is here to inspire aspiring Filipino artists.

“I started out 14 years ago with only $8,000 capital — that’s just three months’ rent in New York,” he says over lunch at the Shangri-La Makati, where his book, An Event to Remember, will be launched tonight with Iñigo and Maricris Zobel and architect Willie and Marion Coscolluela as special guests, among others. For the launch, Jerry will transform the Shangri-La Makati ballroom into... into something you have to see to believe.

 “I want to show aspiring Filipino artists, who are the best workers in the world, that with talent and determination, they, too, can make it,” he says of his work and the reason he decided to launch his coffee table book, published by the prestigious Stewart, Tabory & Chang group, in the Philippines. The book is abloom with 200 colored photographs of Jerry’s works in jaw-dropping events. To reach out to his countrymen, Jerry, in partnership with Ayala Malls, will be exhibiting his floral arrangements to the public, starting with a design demonstration tomorrow at Greenbelt 3 Park.

Jerry, who first worked with the renowned floral designer Preston Bailey, founded the New York City-based Design Fusion with business partner Edwin Josue 14 years ago. Despite the challenges of setting up the business, it has been a walk in a flower-scented park for him.

Through “word of mouth” his genius in floral arrangements and event design spread and he was commissioned by A-Listers to do their events. It seemed that there was no event that Jerry couldn’t elevate to the level of what we Pinoys describe as “bongga,” even when the theme called for understatement (Jerry would use white flowers and crystal for such a theme). Jerry didn’t just take care of the flowers and tabletop arrangements, he would choreograph lighting and audiovisual systems as well (his theater experience came in handy here). The results, as the pictures on this spread show, were gloriously spellbinding.

He believes attractive table arrangements spell the difference in every banquet, because “you eat first with your eyes before your mouth.”

Jerry has done events at the Metropolitan Museum of New York, Carnegie Hall, Miami Beach’s Setai Hotel, Atlantic City’s Borgata Casino, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and the Doria Phampelij Museum in Rome. His roster of clients include Virgin Atlantic, Citigroup, Smith Barney, The New York Bank of Mellon and the New York Yankees.

Despite his success, Jerry is not content to rest on his laurels, peonies and calla lilies.

“You are only as good as your last project. You have to treat your job seriously, and you have to love it.”

You also have to feel happy about it.

Aside from giving his flowers aspirin before a show (diluted in water, that is) Jerry also talks to them. “Please give the best performance of your lives,” he cajoles his blooms before every event.

Jerry swears they respond. Beautifully.

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