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On the “Mark”
interview with
artist
STEVE KAUFMAN
Q How
has your participation
in this program
increased your awareness
of chronic hepatitis B (CHB)?
A
When this project came
into view, I decide to
research it myself. I
spent 15 hours studying
CHB on the Internet. I
just took my life
experience, having
suffered personally from
a severe chronic
illness, to understand
CHB and the people who
have it. By using my
knowledge, I was able to
create the proper image.
Q How
do you believe the art
you will be creating
will speak to the
public?.
A
Giving CHB an image is
like giving the bad guy
in a movie a face versus
him hiding behind a
mask. People need to see
this disease to face it.
By giving it an image, I
hope it will help
millions of people.
Q Who,
creatively, has made a
mark on you as an
artist? Whom do you
believe you have made a
mark on?
A
The first artist who
inspired me was Leonardo
da Vinci, because he was
both an artist and a
scientist. His
scientific drawings were
amazing. His inventions
of tanks and flying
machines were way ahead
of his time.
I believe that I
left a mark on the
hundreds of kids that
come to my studio and
work. They see me as a
famous artist who can
create ideas from ideas
inside of me. I give
them the opportunity to
do the same. Hopefully,
they take what they
learn from working with
me and create things
that they have a passion
for.
Kids are our future and
to give them a break is
all they need. My
charity is called “Give
Kids A Break,” where I
have helped thousand of
inner city kids that
aren’t given a change by
society. I give them a
job where they learn to
be responsible and
respectful. When they
have those quantities,
they can feel free to
express themselves
better to society. The
end result is become a
person who is giving
back to society and to
try to make it a better
place to live.
Q
Please explain your
views on the connection
between art and science?
A I
believe that people who
are “right brain or left
brain” are always
motivated by the same
results. We want to get
to the goal that we set
out to achieve. Whether
I use art to inspire
people or doctors use
medicine to help people,
there’s always the same
goal – to make the world
a better place to live.
Steve Kaufman
Comments at
The Art of
Treating Chronic
Hepatitis B Event
Thank you all for
coming here tonight,
and showing your
commitment to
fighting this
disease. I’d like to
thank BMS for giving
me the opportunity
to create this art…
I believe art can
actually educate. By
giving a face and an
image to the
disease, everyone
can know what the
hepatitis B virus
is.
Each of us learns in
different ways. Some
of us are verbal
learners and others
learn visually. As
an artist, this has
always intrigued me.
As you look at the
paintings that are
sitting on the
perimeter of the
room – I hope you
will notice that
words aren’t
necessary to
understand them.
I have done a lot of
research on this
disease, and by
getting engaged, I
am now committed to
help fight it. Once
again, I’d like to
thank BMS for
inviting me here,
and I’m now going to
ask all of you to
come over to sign
the painting as a
pledge to work
together to learn
more about the
disease and to
communicate to the
community the
importance of
raising awareness.
I am very excited to
be a part of such a
unique event that
brings together
physicians and
advocates to raise
awareness. When I
first became aware
of this event, I
didn't quite
understand this
disease and how many
people are affected.
Now I realize the
impact this disease
has on patients and
their families.
Please join me in
the Foyer of the
Paramount Theater
where you will be
asked to help show
your support for
increased awareness
of chronic hepatitis
B by signing your
name on an original
Kaufman painting.
The finished piece,
including your
signature, may be on
display as part of a
community disease
awareness campaign
in Los Angeles.
I'm looking forward
to working with you
to create this piece
of art that
symbolizes the fight
against chronic
hepatitis B.
As an artist, thank
you for helping me
"Make My Mark".
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