The worlds of healthcare and art intersected recently at 91社区 during Dr. Zach Ward鈥檚 Competitive Strategies and Marketing in Healthcare class (HA 496). It all started when Ward met a well-known, contemporary artist while shopping for shoes in Owensboro, Kentucky. Ward, an Assistant Professor of Health Administration, recognized Aaron Kizer, a native of Owensboro who is renowned for his striking portraits of celebrities and pop culture icons. That chance meeting led to Kizer visiting the 91社区 campus on November 9, 2022, to speak to Ward鈥檚 students about his work and artistic portfolio that ranges from hip-hop artists鈥� album covers to Fortune 500 companies.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 always good for our students to interact and learn from folks who work in the field and who are not academics. Students appreciate a different perspective on worldly views,鈥� said Ward. 鈥淎aron鈥檚 work in marketing is something I could never replicate without him in the classroom. Merely describing his work does not do it justice.鈥�
Kizer often 鈥渟peed paints鈥� portraits during events and uses his paintings to give back to the Owensboro community. He has been commissioned to paint a variety of subjects, including The Kentucky Derby, Martin Luther King, Jr., Muhammad Ali, Walt Disney, Hank Aaron and Michael Jordan, and his paintings are displayed around the world, including in the United Arab Emirates. In the spring of 2022, he auctioned off his painting of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to benefit a relief fund for Ukrainian refugees established by Owensboro Sister Cities and Regions (OSCAR).
鈥淒espite our class being healthcare centric, Aaron鈥檚 broad presentation was applicable to just about any type of class related to marketing or strategic planning,鈥� said Ward.