Living at the intersection of science and art

Nov. 1, 2024

Cherie Sampson, professor of art in the University of Missouri School of Visual Studies, creates new forms of expression by blending and transcending artistic media, a practice she describes as an “intermedia and interdisciplinary” approach.

“I work in performance, which crosses over into theater, dance, electronic media, video art and site-responsive environmental installation,” says Sampson, who joined Mizzou’s faculty in 2007. “Many of my projects realized over a 20-year period took place and were informed by the physical and cultural landscapes of Finland propelled by research during two Fulbright grant periods there in 1998 and 2011.”

Incorporating aspects of the natural world is one of the hallmarks of Sampson’s work. She and her husband spend a great deal of time outdoors on their organic farm, and she is practiced at creating art in different environments, such as the boreal forests of Finland, the shores of the Canary Islands and closer to home in Missouri woodlands and prairies.

Seven years ago, the focus of Sampson’s research and creative practice became much more intimate and personal.

“In 2017 when I was diagnosed with hereditary breast cancer, my artistic work took an abrupt turn and documentary material I collected during treatment was fielded into a new performance work, “every.single.one,” Sampson says.

Since then, Sampson’s live, one-woman show and related projects have been featured at international film festivals, art  exhibitions, conferences and other events.

“What inspires me to do my ‘every.single.one’ performance is the power and impact of the arts in its capacity for healing and communication,” Sampson says. “This project lives at the intersection of science and art; its storytelling validates the experiences of countless people who have endured similar experiences with illness and survival.”

You can watch Sampson's full-length performance of "every.single.one" at Columbia Entertainment Company Feb. 6-9, 2025. 
 

Tell us more about  the inspiration behind “every.single.one.”

My performance depicts personal, familial and community stories with hereditary cancer while exploring topics of science, genetics, integrative oncology and healing from the patient’s perspective of modern medicine. It interweaves three levels of testimonial — mine, my sister’s and those of hereditary cancer survivors and previvors, whose stories were conveyed to me in a series of interviews.

The show draws from ethnographic research, lived experience, field notes and scientific data to create a dramatic interpretation that is both deeply personal and universal. It provided me with a means to process the life-altering ordeal in which to, in the words of feminist poet Audre Lorde, “examine it, put it into perspective, share it and make use of it.”

The title of the show came from a conversation with a friend and ovarian cancer survivor after she viewed a series of photographs taken in a natural environment of my body made hairless from chemotherapy. She felt the images had the power to make “every single one” of us with this disease feel validated, loved, and to a certain extent, freed.
 

How did you begin developing the show?

I began documenting the cancer process in audiovisual material from the moment I received the phone call from the radiologist informing me that the biopsy found breast cancer. I anticipated that the tumor might be cancer because my sister had been diagnosed twice by that time.

That collection of media contributes to the A/V environment of the performance that, along with spoken word, expressive movement and dance, is integral to the storytelling. I began writing the script for the performance while convalescing from surgery. The endeavor to document my experience in real time with an end goal of an artistic production evoked hope for something coming to fruition in a future in which I would be alive. 
 

How are you merging the science and art worlds with your performance?

There are several important narrative undercurrents in the performance, including patients’ (including my own) navigation of conventional cancer treatment along with complementary modalities that support well-being on emotional, spiritual and physical levels. This approach is known as “integrative oncology,” which I strongly believe is an important facet in the future of oncology along with advances in medical science.

Healing in a cancer context does not necessarily mean being cured, nor even in remission, but an endeavor to attain as much wholeness as is feasible amid turmoil. It may not always exemplify a means to an end (disease free) but an ongoing process of embodied adaption, acceptance and whenever possible, renewal. The storytelling in the piece validates the experiences of countless people who have endured similar experiences with illness and survival, and that is what keeps me working on the project, even though it is difficult subject matter for me personally. 
 

Tell us more about how you support cancer patients and survivors.

I do patient advocacy work, primarily in the role as research advocate. For example, I serve as a consumer reviewer for grants in breast cancer research submitted to the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program. This kind of patient advocacy informs my artistic research and vice versa. The depth of investigation into medical and genetic science I have done as both a very attentive cancer patient and as an artist has provided me with a knowledge base that makes reading through scientific research proposals for breakthrough diagnoses and treatment methods more accessible.

Every time I have presented “every.single.one,” I have had deep conversations with people who have come up to speak with me about how the work moved them. It may be that they recognized their own experience in the storytelling or a loved one’s and find a sense of connection, community and a heightened sense that they are not alone.