Business leaders support alma mater in annual Xavier Art Fest
Xavier Art Fest 2024
Photo from Xavier Art Fest 2024

Alumni Hans Sy Jr. of SM and Kendrick Tan of Megaworld lead Xavier School’s major philanthropic art festival


 

Every year, a batch from college prep school Xavier hosts the Xavier Art Fest, a congregation of booths from some of the best galleries in the Philippines as well as curated special projects, all accompanied by good drinks and great food.

This 2025, two prominent figures from the Philippines’ corporate landscape are collaborating to support their alma mater through the arts, business, and philanthropy.

Former seatmates and members of Xavier School’s Batch ‘99 Hans Sy Jr., president of SM Engineering Design, and Kendrick Tan, executive director of Emperador Distilleries, are leading this year’s Xavier Art Fest initiative.

Hans Sy Jr
Hans Sy Jr., president of SM Engineering Design
Kendrick Tan
Kendrick Tan, executive director of Emperador Distilleries

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Now marking its 25th graduation anniversary, Batch ‘99 has organized various fundraising events throughout the past year, but none match the scale and ambition of Xavier’s grand art finale.

Scheduled on Jan. 24 to 26, 2025, this year’s Xavier Art Fest will transform the Fr. Cortina Sports Center into a bustling artistic hub, featuring over 50 galleries that include international participants from Japan and Malaysia, all while showcasing the finest in Filipino and Asian contemporary art.

 

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READ: Watch out for these Filipino artists at Singapore’s leading art fair

The private by-invitation-only preview will be held on Jan. 24, Friday with public days from Jan. 25 and 26. 

Apart from the multiple booths with work for sale by esteemed local galleries, there will be a special exhibition curated by Nilo Ilarde and prepared by the ALT Group of galleries. 

There will also be an innovative “Whisky x Art” auction featuring 10 special-edition 25-year-old vintage Fettercairn whisky bottles, each creatively designed into one-of-a-kind artistic pieces by selected artists.

At its core, the event serves a philanthropic purpose to support the Xavier Educational Trust Fund (XSETF), which provides scholarships to underprivileged youth, and contributes to “Para Kay Cher,” (“Cher” being short for teacher)—a medical trust fund benefiting retired Xavier School faculty and staff, showing the meaningful bonds that have been cemented over the years between student alumni and their youth’s educational institution.

Xavier Art Fest 2025 will be open for a private preview on Jan. 24, 2025, with public days on Jan. 25 and 26, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Fr. Cortina Sports Center, Xavier School. Admission is free

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