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03/25/2020 08:30 AMCathy Weiss has what she calls “a serious hobby—something I pursue passionately.” That passion is art, and Cathy has been fortunate to find time to do it later in life.
Cathy recalls when she was young, she wanted to pursue a career in the arts, but was pushed to instead get an education in a science field. For years she worked in the health field, first as a radiation therapist and then later on as a social worker, but it was art that always caught her attention.
“My real passion was dance,” says Cathy. “When I was 50, I decided I wanted to try what I always wanted to do.” So, she did: She became a dancer for several years before an injury caused her to leave that career change behind.
“I was very fortunate I did my dream for five years,” says Cathy.
With her dancing shoes now hung up, Cathy instead focuses her artistic endeavors on writing and painting.
“I don’t follow the crowds; because I have a science background I experiment with different materials and different styles,” Cathy says of her style.
“I get inspired just observing,” she says. “Every day I watch sunrise and sunset and try and be quiet to reflect and that’s where my ideas come from.”
Her favorite piece so far is a work that was recently sold in the Mystic Museum of Art, a multimedia work depicting a scene in Cuba that was part sketch, part photo, and part painting that was fused together.
Her background fosters projects that intersect art and social work. Cathy proudly notes that several of the programs she helped start as a social worker are still in use today. When she can, she still tries to help support charities through her artwork.
“I do things that have never been done before. It gives me great pleasure to try and help people,” she says.
Cathy has been fortunate enough to have her work featured in several different locations such as at her own gallery located in The Towers apartment complex in New Haven. At the Towers, her art is helping raise money to pay for meals for residents, as well as helping to bring people together to learn about art.
Cathy grew up in Buffalo, New York and has lived in Clinton since 2007. It was a happy accident that Cathy even discovered the town in the first place.
“One time I got lost in Clinton and I decided one day I’d move there—and then I did,” Cathy says with a laugh.
Cathy helped contribute to a book by Marty Podskoch called Connecticut 169 Club, which has details on every city and town in the state. Cathy wrote the section on Clinton for the book.
Cathy has become involved in celebrating Clinton since she moved to her new town. She is a member of the Clinton Arts Society and the Arbor Garden Club and volunteers at the Adam Stanton House. Several of the charities and groups she supports include causes aimed at supporting the arts community in Clinton.
Cathy points to what she calls “hidden pockets of beauty” around the town. She enjoys the diversity of people in the town, in addition to the physical beauty in town.
“I chose to move here because there’s not a lot of congestion and I feel connected here,” says Cathy.
At press time as the COVID-19 outbreak causes people to self-isolate, Cathy says she enjoys that her neighborhood has maintained some connection.
“I love my neighborhood. I don’t feel too lonely—people check in on me,” she says while noting that people have been taking breaks to come over and enjoy her garden—at an appropriate distance of course.
In her spare time Cathy can be found spending time with family, riding her bicycle, doing yoga, and cooking. She also runs a monthly writing group open mic at R.J. Julia Booksellers in Madison.
To nominate a Person of the Week in Clinton or Westbrook, email Eric O’Connell at e.oconnell@shorepublishing.com. To nominate an Old Saybrook resident, email Aviva Luria at a.luria@shorepublishing.com.