ABOUT US
Pilar’s Garden is an idea that’s been brewing for many years, but it took the unusual circumstances of 2020 to finally bring it to life. Based in Salt Lake City, Utah and Barcelona, Spain, we create a variety of products featuring the artwork of Spanish artist, Pilar Pobil. From beautiful hand-bound journals to jigsaw puzzles, from limited edition art blocks to flour-sack tea towels, we have sought out the highest quality materials and manufacturers.
Who are we? A mother and two daughters; two artists and a musician; a Spaniard and her American off-spring; friends. Pilar Pobil, born in Spain, is 94 years old and lives by herself in her beautiful home in Salt Lake City, a house and garden that has become a focal point for the arts in Utah. Her daughters are Monica Pasqual, a singer-songwriter who lives in Oakland, CA and Maggie Smith de Cerdá, an artist living in Barcelona, Spain.
In March of 2020, Monica temporarily left Oakland to stay with Pilar during the pandemic. With her performances on hold indefinitely, time on her hands and surrounded by Pilar’s extraordinary art, she dedicated herself to researching and developing an online store – something they had all dreamed of but never had the time to do before. Through daily conversations and back and forth messages with Maggie, the two of them started creating the designs and sourcing the products that make up this collection.
We hope you enjoy our products as much as we enjoy offering them to you. If you have any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Sincerely,
Maggie, Pilar and Monica
Who Are We?
Pilar Pobil
Pilar Pobil was raised on the island of Mallorca, off the Mediterranean coast of Spain, and it was there that she first learned to love the shapes and colors that suffuse her art. In her 20s she met and married an American and came to live in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she raised three children. Always finding ways to express her creativity, It wasn’t until she was already in her late 40s that she began to dedicate herself to sculpting,writing and painting. Soon she was exhibiting her work in museums and galleries throughout the US.
Like her art, Pilar’s house and garden overflow with exuberant color. Since 2013 her home has been the site of the Pilar Pobil Legacy Foundation, where other artists can exhibit their work and local students participate in workshops. Pilar has received countless honors and awards for her art, both nationally and internationally. In 2016, she was knighted by the King of Spain for her extraordinary contribution to Spanish culture abroad. In 2019 she was recognized as one of Utah’s most influential artists. Now 94 years old, Pilar continues to paint, garden and sculpt from her iconic home in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Learn more about Pilar and the Pilar Pobil Legacy Foundation!
Monica Pasqual
Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, Monica was learning music before she could read or write. She studied piano seriously but later discovered a talent for writing songs and singing. Best known for her work in the Bay Area’s female band Blame Sally, of whom rock critic Joel Selvin wrote: “…one of the most powerful word-of-mouth success stories I’ve heard in recent years.”, Pasqual has also maintained an impressive solo career, releasing six solo albums in addition to the eight albums recorded with Blame Sally. She is the winner of nine Independent Music Awards and six Emmy Awards. Her songs have been used on numerous network television shows and she has composed soundtracks for PBS, The History Channel and National Geographic Television. In the fall of 2019 she released her sixth solo album, “You Can’t Kill Light”.
She suddenly finds herself indefinitely transplanted to Salt Lake City and fascinated with art and design.
Learn more about Monica's music
Maggie Smith de Cerdá
By the time she was 15 years old, Maggie was already excelling at interior design and merchandising. At 19 she was one of Nordstrom’s youngest-ever department managers - opening and running the Gift Gallery in San Francisco’s Market and Powell Street store. A few years later her life took a major detour when she moved to Barcelona and soon after married a Catalan. It didn’t take long for Maggie to establish herself at Barcelona’s premier stationery store where her artistic window displays have captivated shoppers and garnered her several awards.
More recently she has dedicated her talents to painting furniture and creating exquisite miniatures. She lives in her own beautiful house in the hills outside of Barcelona, which she shares with her husband and her beloved dogs. And now she’s moonlighting – literally, with Pilar’s Garden, working out ideas and designs with Monica while battling an eight-hour time difference.
Learn more about Maggie's miniatures.
