Metro
Variety, The Children's Charity Presents
Catchers ,
Concept® Created by Rob T. Allen & Linda Solomon
Fisher from page 21
Private Concert Starring
now, but had a hard time getting stuff
to happen. All the presidents have
increased funding.
"Congress is really good, but they
need to be more responsive to the
changing face of this epidemic. First
money went to the bigger cities, but
now the disease is spreading into rural
areas in the South and the Midwest.
The bigger cities have done well, but
they are still getting the money [rather
than these other areas]."
Bernadette Peters
Musical Director Marvin Laird
Did your father have any influ-
ence on your speaking at the
Republican convention?
Featuring Johnny Trudell & 28-piece Orchestra
Friday, June 23, 2006
6:00 p.m.
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What was your father's
reaction to your speech?
One Girl Who
Johnny Was
Andrew Marc
Sienna Studio
Drama
Equestrain
Elliott Lauren
"The next morning after my speech,
he went to a meeting where people
stood up and applauded him. He was
introduced as Mary Fisher's father. He
was very proud of me, and I'm happy
about that.
"He is a hard act to follow. All of us
have special things we do to carry on
the calling he taught us about giving
back. I hope he's proud looking down.
He led by example, and he led us the
same way. He was a very powerful
communicator and consensus builder
— he could do it anywhere with any
group. And leadership — he told us it
was imperative to be a leader first; you
can't call on them if you're not willing
to lead yourself."
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June 15 • 2006
"I took my sons for their first trip last
year for a memorial for Max. We toured
and Zachary just got touched. You go
with that passion. He went back this
year and worked on an archaeologi-
cal site in the Negev. He was the only
young person and he held his own. He
left last week for Israel and will partici-
pate in different programs.
"I will go to Israel this summer. In
the fall, I'll go to speak [about AIDS]
and have an art show."
The 25th anniversary of the
discovery of AIDS was this
month. Activists and those
infected say the epidemic is
being forgotten.
"Here, yes, people are forgetting. In
other countries, they can't ignore it. [In
Zambia, for example, one in six people
is infected.] UNAIDS is working to cre-
ate more dialogue.
"And there are 16 million orphans
because of AIDS, with issues of secu-
rity, food and medical needs.
" ... We need to get them to look at
it like a health issue, not a sex or reli-
gious issue."
"As an artist, you are driven
by passion. Are you fueled by
the same passion for AIDS
activism?"
"For me, it's interesting to get into
the studio and not know what's hap-
pening or what you're doing. Then
something happens — the creative
passion, the soul place — that's almost
meditative. Then I'm driven to add, to
play, to finish.
"When I'm speaking with women
around the world with AIDS, what hap-
pens is that same kind of passion. You
share your story with someone and
they share, too. That same passion con-
nection happens. I definitely feel that
passion comes into my art. It comes
from the soul of those eyes, those faces.
I am pulled by faces. I just want that
emotion in my art:"
Your powerful art involves
photography, textiles, text,
sculpture — mostly the faces
of women and girls touched by
HIV/AIDS.
"My mother said the photos make
her cry and the words are always
sad. There is sadness, but great joy in
watching people survive and share
with each other, love and support each
other."
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22
"That my father and Bob Mosbacher
were finance chairmen for President
Bush had something to do with it.
And I was working for Gerald Ford,
and with ABC News, which gave me
additional footing. I spoke first at the
platform hearings that May, and I did
bounce that speech off my father. The
platform hearings were the spring-
board to speak at the August conven-
tion; and on that speech, it was impor-
tant that I find my way myself, really
speak my heart.
"My father's major commitment was
to Jewish causes, and Israel in par-
ticular; and he saw HIV/AIDS as my
major cause. He was always ready to
encourage me and my work, but it was
my cause, not his. He did not campaign
for it, he didn't open doors. It was part
of my father's tradition with all of his
children to say, (I'll support what you
do but I won't do it for you: Just having
him and the rest of my family, standing
together and supporting my speaking
before the Republican Party, was an
enormous source of strength."
Does Israel have a hold on you
or your family like it did your
father?