Art in the Garden

Pilar Pobil's painting of the path to her studio gives a sense of the enchanted world visitors enter during the 15th annual "Art in Pilar's Garden" event, June 18-20. Work from local artists Hadley Rampton, Polly Plummer, Edie Roberson, Susan Slade, and Judith Romney Wolbach is also on view.

You could imagine stumbling across the big, persimmon-colored house with its arched windows and wild, enchanted garden on a hilly street in a Spanish village.  Instead, it is an Avenues Neighborhood landmark, a quirky but harmonious synthesis of Pilar Pobil’s childhood on the island of Mallorca, off the Mediterranean coast of Spain, and her life in Utah where she raised a family and became a renowned artist.  Like her paintings, her house and garden are filled with color and stories.

“When you leave your native land for good your life is cut in two,” Pilar wrote in her memoir, My Kitchen Table:  Sketches from My Life. “The first part retreats inside to allow the second part to develop without hindrance.  It becomes a hidden part of yourself that not many people see.  In my case, it started showing itself in my creative process.  It showed in whatever I did: decorating the house, landscaping my garden, sewing my daughters’ dresses, and cooking our meals, and later, of course, it manifested in my art.  It appeared in my sculptures and in my paintings.  To this day, in all the diverse work of my second life, you can see the definite influence of my first life.”

Pilar Pobil's art draws on her Spanish childhood

Shaped by this creative energy, Pilar’s garden has been legendary for years.  It was a favorite on garden tours, but Pilar found that visitors were as interested in peering through the windows of her studio to see her art as they were in the flowers.  She realized that many people were shy about galleries or museums but enjoyed art in less formal ways. This sparked an idea: why not fill the garden with art – hers and that of invited friends — and have a party?  She did and started a tradition that celebrates its 15^th anniversary this year.

Pilar likes to tell the story of a young man who shyly approached her during one of the parties.  ”He was 13 or 14 years old, tall, a little overweight and ungainly.  The garden was full of people but he came up to me and said, ‘Before I came, I had heard a lot about art, but I didn’t understand.  Now, I know what people are talking about.”

Others felt the same way and soon the crowds became so large that Pilar decided to charge admission and use 100% of the proceeds to support local art.  This year, funds go to Art Access Gallery which provides programs for people with disabilities.

What:  “Art in Pilar’s Garden” featuring work of Pilar Pobil, Hadley Rampton, Polly Plummer, Edie Roberson, Susan Slade, and Judith Romney Wolbach

When: Friday, June 18 through Sunday, June 20, 2010, 5 – 9 p.m

Where: 403 8th Ave, Salt Lake City

Check out Pilar’s memoir, My Kitchen Table:  Sketches from my Life, from the Salt Lake City Public Library.

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