Kathy Clem
Kathy Clem is an artist with over 50 years of creative practice whose lifelong passion for art has shaped both her personal and professional journey. She attended high school in Massena, New York, where an additional academic year allowed her to spend extensive time in the art room, deepening her early appreciation for artistic expression. Although she initially pursued science, earning a two year degree in Canton, New York where she graduated first in her class, she went on to complete a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from RIT while working at Kodak.
Her professional career in chemistry included roles in Kodak’s analytical laboratory and later in its special research division during the 1970s, where she contributed to innovative work and was awarded a patent for developing conductive glass for solar cell applications. Recognizing that the project would not become commercially viable, she ultimately chose to leave Kodak and return to her original passion for art. Around this time, she and her husband had purchased their home in Pittsford, New York, where she has lived for more than five decades. This transition led her to establish the Museo de Arte, a privately funded not yet non profit art museum supported through her Roth IRA with the assistance of her husband. She works closely with museum manager Michelle Garrett and has brought on Miranda Acevedo, who brings experience from the Museum of Play, to support ongoing development and programming.
Today, Kathy continues to lead the Museo de Arte with a focus on community engagement and experimental creative projects, including large scale collaborative works such as a felted house initiative and an unprecedented quilt based installation. She continues to pursue her artistic vision while navigating personal challenges, including Parkinson’s disease and a significant recovery period following a fall that resulted in a broken wrist and clavicle and required an extended hospitalization. Despite these setbacks, she remains actively engaged in her work, is collaborating with a ghostwriter on a book, and continues to participate in workshops and conferences as part of her commitment to lifelong learning and creative growth.
• Two-year degree in Chemistry from Canton
• New York (graduated first in class)
• BS degree in Chemistry from RIT
• Team studies at Harvard
• Patent for conductive glass (Kodak)
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to loving what I do and being passionate about it. I believe that if you set your goals and they're not too crazy, you'll find a way to achieve them - it just comes to you. I also think it's important to surround yourself with good people that you can trust completely, people who you know are going to be able to accomplish your mission. When I wanted to create my museum, nobody took me seriously at first, but I stayed focused on my goal and found the right people to work with, like Michelle and Miranda, and that made all the difference.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is to love what you're doing. I learned this lesson when I was working at Kodak. Even though I had a good job there and had earned my BS degree in chemistry, I realized I wasn't happy doing that work. Someone told me to love what I'm doing right now, because you only live once in this life. That advice made me realize I needed to enjoy what I do, and if I wasn't enjoying it, I should change it and do it. So I left Kodak to follow my passion for art, and that decision changed my life. You only live once, so do whatever you need to do to be happy.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering the art and museum industry is to just follow your passion and do what you love doing, because you only live once. Life is short, and you need to make the most of it. I have Parkinson's disease, and this year it set me back two months when I fell and broke my wrist and clavicle. I was in the hospital for close to two months, and I hated being there. But that experience reinforced for me that you only live once, so do whatever you need to do. Don't let setbacks stop you. Set your goals, and if they're not too crazy, you'll find a way to achieve them.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges I faced, especially as a woman in this field, was being taken seriously. When I first started talking about creating my own museum, nobody took me seriously at first. People would just say 'yeah, yeah, yeah,' but I had my goal in mind and I was determined to make it happen. The key to overcoming this challenge was to get good people to work for me and trust them completely. I found people like Michelle Garrett, my museum manager, and Miranda Acevedo, who has great experience from the Museum of Play. Finding trustworthy and capable people who can help you accomplish your mission is crucial. Another challenge has been finding the right space. I started looking for a space for my museum last year, and it was very hard. I dealt with commercial real estate people, but I eventually found a way and got the perfect space, though I had to spend a lot of money converting it because it had too many windows. But I found a way to make it work.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The most important values to me are integrity and passion. Integrity is very important to me - I believe in being honest and doing the right thing in everything I do. And passion is equally important. You have to love what you're doing and be passionate about it. When you're passionate about your work, it shows in everything you do, and it gives you the motivation to keep going even when things get difficult. I also believe in the value of trust - finding people you can trust completely and who can help you accomplish your mission is essential.
Locations
kathy clem Museo de Arte
Pittsford, NY 14534