Written by Charlie Groppetti AIFD
When a floral designer that inspired you passes away, you are often at a loss at what to do. You carry so much of their influence and inspiration within you that you want to somehow continue their legacy after they are gone.
When Michi Burrell AIFD passed away, the decision was made to establish a fund in her name within the AIFD Foundation. Once the fund was established, the principal would be protected in perpetuity to generate interest and dividends to support floral design education.
Understanding that each fund reflects the wishes and personality of the named honoree confirmed the decision to honor her legacy in this way. In Michi’s case we wanted to highlight her adventurous spirit for learning and her years of personally mentoring so many fellow designers. This endowment also led to a new concept to support continued education through professional mentorship and developed into what is known today as S.H.I.N.E. Scholarships Help Inspire Nurturing Education is a true reflection of Michi’s brilliance as one of our industry’s shining stars.
As we approach the 10th anniversary of establishing what has come to be known as the Michi Burrell AIFD Endowed Fund as well as the 60th Anniversary of AIFD, it seems an appropriate time to look back and review what Michi contributed to our Industry and honor how she continues to inspire us today. There was no other designer in her time that influenced floral design with her distinctive “East meets West” style. When you saw her designs you knew it was a Michi! She created a fusion of her formal Ikebana education with her bold, contemporary west coast style. There was only one Michi who went on to be the first woman to win the 1980 America’s Cup.
A few fun facts that share the fund’s achievements since the time of endowment:
- Proceeds from the holiday garland making classes endowed the fund at $32,453.
- The new opportunity to award a mentorship in a designated field led future funds named after prestigious mentors to endow with the same purpose. These include the endowed funds named in honor of Bobbi Ecker Blatchford AIFD, Matt Wood AIFD, Marie Ackerman AIFD and Frankie Shelton AIFD.
- 8 scholarships have been awarded to members of AIFD to total $25,200. The recipients include Marisa Guerrero AIFD, Shonda Cunningham AIFD, Marcela López-Vallejo AIFD, Renee Tucci AIFD, Angela Tipton AIFD, Alan Masters AIFD, Judy Janzen AIFD who will present main stage in Palm Springs and Rebecca Sullivan CFD who will be inducted into AIFD in Palm Springs!
- The amount of each award is based on interest and dividends. The total donations that form the principal corpus of a fund are permanently restricted in perpetuity thus securing the processes for the scholarship to forever be offered.
Judy Janzen AIFD was awarded the S.H.I.N.E. scholarship and most talks about her most recent experiences with mentor Charlie Groppetti AIFD. From the World Trade Center in Dallas, Texas to several locations that inspire in Little Rock, Arkansas, Janzen’s mentorship was filled with possibilities.
If you ever wonder how to honor a fellow designer, help continue their legacy or ever wonder what happens to your donations, this is an example of what can be accomplished within the program of work of the AIFD Foundation.
In closing, if you are interested in expanding your career or discovering new opportunities, AIFD Foundation applications will be posted May 1, 2025. Are you ready to S.H.I.N.E.?
For those who would like to learn more about Michi Burrell:
Michi Burrell AIFD started her floral training in Japan as a young girl learning Ikebana along with her socially required music and tea ceremony lessons. It was actually her talent as a singer that later brought her to New York City, wearing a fur coat with only $500.00 in her pocket. Her hesitant Mother only allowed her that much, thinking she would return home when the money ran out.
Michi quickly got a job at a fashionable 5th Avenue florist, arranging flowers by day and singing at night. It was also in New York where Michi met Jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell. They married, started a family and soon moved to sunny California. Michi cherished her time raising her two children, Maya and Eddie. In California she started working at Flowers by Morri in Costa Mesa.
Her incredible talent was soon noticed. Her exotic linear, Ikebana style arrangements were right on trend with the 70’s styles happening on the west coast. In 1980 she competed and won the prestigious America’s Cup Competition. She was the first woman to win this event and she was soon in great demand traveling the world demonstrating her “East Meets West” style of design.
This led to becoming a member of the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD). Her designs were dynamic, very bold in color and textures, often featuring tropical flowers or a combination of tropical flowers, foliage and garden flowers. She combined the linear aspects of Ikebana from the Far East and added more volume and mass for western style tastes. There was also an element of glitz that was a hallmark of the 80’s and 90’s as well as her personal fashion sense.
At that same time, silk flower production was developing into a huge new industry moving from Taiwan to Mainland China. Looking for top U.S. talent, Michi was soon recruited to develop silk flowers at leading factories. She spent over 25 years, often working 6 to 8 months out of each year at UCP, a top silk flower and holiday decoration company. Her designs were sold globally with American based companies such as: Pottery Barn, Target, Costco, Hallmark, Walmart as well as most floral importers. During the times she was not in China, she often held floral design classes, worked at Shinoda Design Center creating displays or spent time with her grandchildren.
What is most remembered about Michi is she always took time to teach and mentor others, no matter how busy or accomplished she became. You knew when Michi was around, you would always learn, laugh and be indefinitely inspired. To honor her great legacy in the World of floral design and her great mentoring impact on so many designers an endowed fund was established in her name within the AIFD Foundation. Each year this fund will generate scholarships to be awarded to Floral designers and students looking to expand the vision of modern floral design.
