The Art Rainmaker

with CATHY FARWELL 

Everyone in the arts industry told me I should meet Cathy Farwell. In 2016, I had the honour to do just that. Cathy is a multi-disciplinary artist who expresses herself best by experimentation across various mediums to produce intriguing works of art, whether through sculpture, painting or mixed media formats. And while I began to familiarize myself with the more fascinating aspects of Cathy’s experimental work, I became even more interested in what she was up to the Waterloo Region. Cathy Farwell is a powerhouse on two wheels. As a tireless arts advocate, juror, speaker, donor, organizer extraordinaire, Cathy has managed to put together two of the most successful projects in the area; ArtsPay and the Art Incubator.

In 2016, Cathy founded ArtsPay which is a non-profit initiative to provide an
avenue for artists in the region to regularly exhibit their artwork and be guaranteed fair pay for their efforts. But Artspay is much more than that! Artspay is an incredible venue that provides artists with art mentorship/critiques, meetups, networking, an information centre, professional development, access to a corporate art rental program, employment and display materials to mount their own exhibitions.
Fabulous! What followed behind in 2018 was the Art Incubator, an
innovative space funded by the Incubator program. This involves a house
in downtown Waterloo consisting of two main floor galleries and 15 working
studios, five of which have been set aside exclusively for graduated fine art
students. This is a dream of every arts collective in Ontario. Artists need
space to work together, collaborate and learn from each other. Art
Incubator does just that.

In 2019, Cathy was the recipient of the Art Award for the Region of
Waterloo. This was a gigantic and well-received accolade for a woman who
has dedicated the last decade of her life to nurturing, advocating, mentoring
and championing “the cause” for countless artists.
It was a true pleasure to interview Cathy. She is more than an inspiration
and innovator beyond belief. She IS the Arts Rainmaker!