Cherie Sampson
Cherie Sampson is an interdisciplinary artist and full professor of art with over 30 years of experience in performance, installation, and video art. Her work, which often engages with environmental and site-responsive practices, has been exhibited and performed internationally, including in the U.S., Finland, Norway, Cuba, Spain, South Korea, and the Netherlands—where Sampson's performance there in 2003 was attended by the Dutch Queen. In 2018, the Pori Museum of Art in Finland acquired documentation of her installations and performances for their permanent collection, recognizing the lasting impact of her two-decade engagement with the cultural and geographical landscapes of Finland. Sampson’s current work, every.single.one, is a one-woman intermedia performance exploring her personal experience with hereditary breast cancer, integrating themes of science, genetics, and integrative oncology. Since beginning the project in 2017, she has presented it at numerous venues, including the North Star Music Festival, Minnesota Fringe Festival, and the Society for Integrative Oncology conference at the Banff Center for Arts & Creativity. The performance combines dance, spoken word, video projection, and ethnographic research, offering audiences an intimate perspective on the patient experience while fostering empathy, awareness, and healing. In addition to her creative practice, Sampson is a dedicated educator at the University of Missouri’s School of Visual Studies, teaching courses in environmental art, digital media, performance, and video art. She has been awarded multiple grants and fellowships, including two Fulbright awards (1998 and 2011), a Puffin Foundation Grant, a Finnish Cultural Foundation Grant (North Karelia Fund) and support from the University of Missouri Research Council, Research Board and the MU School of Medicine (Ellis Fischel Cancer Center). Alongside her artistic work, she engages in patient advocacy for hereditary cancer awareness, bridging her dual passions for art and health in projects that educate, inspire, and transform audiences.
• University of Iowa - MFA
• Fulbright Specialist Program Roster / 2025-28
• Best Experimental Film, St. Louis Filmmaker’s Showcase, 2024
• Multiple Awards for Short Film / Video Art
• Jane Chambers Award Finalist 2023
• Puffin Foundation Grant 2023
• Collection of Work Acquired by the Pori Art Museum, 2018
• Finnish Cultural Foundation Grant, 2012
• Fulbright Core Scholar Grant 2011
• Fulbright Grant 1998
• Ecoartspace
• ASCO / American Society for Clinical Oncology
• IEATA / International Expressive Arts Therapy Association
• NOAH / National Organization for Arts in Health
• Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO)
• WEAD / Women Eco-Artists Dialog
• Patient Advocacy for Cancer and Genetic Risk
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to a lifelong focus on art. From a young age, I knew this was my path, inspired by my mother’s self-taught artistry. Pursuing a degree in visual art and staying goal-oriented—making lists, checking off milestones—has kept me on track. Resilience has also been essential. In the arts, competition for resources is stiff, rejections are inevitable, so I’ve learned to not let it be too discouraging and instead celebrate small accomplishments, which build over time and drive continued growth.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received came from a faculty member on my graduate committee at the University of Iowa. I was discussing a project I was working on along the shores of Lake Superior involving wood, reflecting on how my Finnish ancestors who homesteaded in northern Minnesota had constructed a built environment with local wood and he casually suggested, “You should apply for a Fulbright.” I took his advice, applied as a graduate student, and was awarded the grant. That experience—spending nine months abroad on a Fulbright in 1998—was transformative and set a strong trajectory for my career. Even today, I maintain connections from that time, including a recent correspondence with the director of the Fulbright Center in Finland, which highlights how lasting and influential that advice has been.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering the field is to stay focused, confident, and resilient, even in challenging times. While societal attitudes can sometimes feel discouraging, it’s important not to lose hope. I’ve been fortunate in my career—as a full professor at a large Research 1 university—but I recognize that many face structural challenges, from funding cuts to systemic barriers. Staying committed to your goals, maintaining confidence in your abilities, and trusting in your path will help you navigate obstacles and continue making an impact.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
A major challenge in theater right now is engaging audiences with difficult subject matter, especially post-COVID, when theaters often favor familiar, crowd-pleasing shows. Funding is also highly competitive, with cuts across many arts organizations. At the same time, approaching retirement presents opportunities to expand my work into the public domain and explore new projects, like programs focused on creative health and bringing my one-woman show, "every.single.one" to diverse audiences.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The most important values in my work and personal life are interconnected - Striking a meaningful work-life balance is essential, while still staying focused and reliable in my professional responsibilities. In my interdisciplinary creative work, I value the integration of craft with experimentation, and I aim to create work that educates, uplifts, and positively impacts people, particularly when addressing difficult subjects like life-threatening illness.
Locations
University of Missouri School of Visual Studies
Columbia, MO 65211