Start Your Holiday Shopping at Craft Invitational

Chapel Hill artist Carmine Prioli peeled back layers of crumpled newspaper, revealing smooth wooden keepsake boxes that fit in the palm of his hand.

On a recent afternoon, Prioli was dropping off these small boxes as well as silk and wool felted scarves made by his wife, Elizabeth, to Arts & Health at Duke, a program that brings the arts to the hallways and patient rooms of Duke Hospital.

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These pieces and others are on display in a rotating holiday exhibit within Duke Hospital, where visitors and Duke employees can purchase them as gifts beginning Nov. 18 as part of Arts & Health at Duke’s second annual Holiday Invitational, a blooming tradition that brings together art sales, live music and a book signing. Art for purchase includes paintings, pottery, jewelry, cutting boards and other creations by 10 North Carolina artists and groups.

Staff, faculty and visitors have the opportunity to purchase artwork in the Arts & Health Galleries, located in the Duke Hospital concourse near the Searle Center, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Nov. 18, Dec. 2, Dec. 9 and Dec. 16, or by request by calling (919) 684-6124. Live music will also be played during these dates, featuring harp to handbell music.

“You can pick up something special for someone while they’re in the hospital or while you’re visiting, or you can take care of shopping while you’re working or visiting a patient,” said Sharon Swanson, program coordinator of Arts & Health at Duke. “It’s a reminder that the holidays are a time of celebration.”

Items will be sold at different price points, from $3 up. People who spend $50 or more at the art sale will receive an Arts & Health at Duke bag.

“A lot of people said the quality of work that’s here is really great,” said Jennifer Collins-Mancour, Arts & Health at Duke’s visual artist in residence. “They were very appreciative of that, just having something really nice to look at during the holiday season and the option of being able to buy gifts here for families and friends.”

The pieces will be on display through Jan. 6 in the Arts & Health Galleries.

Here are other events taking place during the Holiday Invitational:

Attend a book signing

Author and illustrator Daniel Wallace, best known for writing the novel “Big Fish,” is returning to the hospital to celebrate the release of his new book, “The Angelologia,” which was designed and published in collaboration with Arts & Health at Duke and features a ‘catalogue’ of different types of angels.

His book signing will be Dec. 2, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Arts & Health Galleries in the Duke Hospital concourse near the Searle Center. Wallace will also sign copies of “Big Fish” and his children’s book, “The Cat’s Pajamas.”

Also during the Holiday Invitational art sale, original artwork from the new book, “Angelologia,” will be on display and for purchase.

Buy a Duke coloring book

Arts & Health at Duke is selling original coloring books, which feature artwork on display within Duke University Health System, including art by Duke employees. The books will be gift-wrapped and come with crayons. They are $5 apiece.

Give the gift of art to patients

Arts & Health at Duke will have gift certificates available for purchase that allows art kits to live music to be delivered to patients within Duke Hospital.

A gift of $10 could pay for the delivery of art kits to four patients; $25 could pay for a patient to record an audiobook with a personal message that will be delivered to his or her family at home that can’t visit the hospital; and $50 could provide an hour of live music at a patient’s bedside, in a hospital unit or waiting area. To give online to the Arts & Health at Duke program, visit its donation page.