Oncological Sciences Center

Cancer Culture and Community

Program Background

The Oncological Sciences Center in Discovery Park in partnership with the College of Liberal Arts at Purdue University created the Cancer Culture and Community (CCC) Program in 2007 to explore the human response to cancer as expressed through the arts and literature. This is a truly unique program blending the sciences and the arts.

The genesis of the CCC program was inspired by the powerful exhibition hosted by the Lafayette Art Museum of paintings by Hollis Sigler, which chronicled her battle and ultimate death from breast cancer. Lectures surrounding this exhibit demonstrated the powerful influence art and literature can have on how one deals with cancer.

The Cancer Culture and Community program features an annual Colloquium held in November focused on the human response to cancer as expressed through literature. The Colloquium features nationally renowned writers and provides a venue for interactions with Purdue students and faculty as well as members of the Greater Lafayette Community.

Maps and Other Information

• Purdue campus map
• Lafayette city map
• Directions to Purdue Memorial Union
• Parking Information

Guest Artists

2012                                                            

Will Reiser, script writer for the movie "50/50"

2011

Noah Hutton, documentary filmaker

Seun Adebiyi, 2014 Winter Olympic Athlete in Skelton from Nigeria

Seun's battle is featured in Noah Hutton's documentary "More to Live For".  In his film, Noah shows the story of three lives, all shaken by cancer and dependent on one vital bone marrow match to save them. 

• Event Agenda
• Jazz Sampler Flyer
• Bone Marrow Registry Flyer

Several local jazz musicans come together for an evening of great music, food & drinks at the Lafayette Theater in beautiful downtown Lafayette.  This event was a celebration of the life for music of grammy award winning Michael Brecker, who is featured in the documentary "More to Live For".  Along with the wonderful entertainment, a bone marrow drive took place!

On November 3, 2011 a Bone Marrow Drive took place in Stewart Hall in which we invited the campus.  This project was in collabortion with the School of Nursing and Purdue Athletics.  Through this event we collected just over 1000 samples.  Purdue held the largest campus one day drives with DKMS.

2010

Joyce Brabner, co-author of Our Cancer Year
Frank Stack, the books illustrator

In anticipation of their visit to Purdue University, we invited the greater Lafayette community to share their cancer stories with us.

Over the next few months, volunteer editors and artist compiled the stories into a graphic novel. The book will be dedicated to Brabner's husband Harvey Pekar - who died July 12 at age 70 - along with everyone who has fought against cancer.

• Event agenda

• Flyer (requesting the community stories)

• Flyer (requesting volunteer editors and artists)

• Flyer (for Event)

• Stories submitted to the project

• "Lafayette: Our Cancer Year" (book created through the stories submitted) 

Event Press
Purdue News

2010 Mini CCC Event

Rebecca Skloot
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

2009

Event Press
Purdue News
Base 14

2008

Margaret Edson
W;T
Flyer

Program Sponsors: OSC, Office of the Provost, College of Liberal Arts, Purdue Libraries, Purdue Cancer Center, Department of English, Division of Theatre, Horizon Oncology Center, Pets and Vets as Partners

Event Press
Purdue News
Exponent Release
Rich Rand Interview
NPR

2007

Terry Tempest Willliams
Refuge, An Unnatural Hstory of Time and Place

Sue Ellen Thompson
The Golden Hour

Program Sponsors: OSC, Office of the Provost, College of Liberal Arts PLACE, Purdue Libraries, Center for Environment, Department of English, West Lafayette Public Library

Event Press
Purdue News
WBAA