ARTISTIC PRESENCE - A Gift Wrapping Project
by LISA VINING with funding from the
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Welcome to the Artistic Presence-A Gift Wrapping Project site! My name is Lisa Vining and I invite you to bring a small gift to the Patterson-Appleton Arts Center that you would like to have gift wrapped in a stylish, artistic way. After you set up an appointment, you'll come to the studio and we'll have a conversation about the gift, then I'll wrap it with my specialty papers and supplies. Everything about this process is free of charge. It's an art project designed to promote connections by participating in the process of giving.
HOW IT WORKS:
MAKE AN APPOINTMENT
Make an appointment through the link below. Each appointment will last a 1/2 hour. There are 25 slots scheduled over three days. December 4-6, 2025. See schedule below.
BRING A GIFT
Start by bringing a small gift that you would like to have gift wrapped in an artistic way for a friend, loved one, or even yourself. Small, in terms of something that can fit in a shirt box, or an item such as a mug or tumbler. If your item comes in it's own box, please let me know. I will also have boxes on hand for use.
HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH LISA
At the appointment we'll have a conversation about your gift that will spark the direction I take in selecting the wrapping. I've collected papers from various sources including: museum shops, London boutiques, dollar stores, and some vintage ephemera I've collected for decades. We’ll explore ideas together and I'll make decisions based on our conversation. I will make your gift look artistic, unique, and guaranteed to be super special for the recipient.
TAKE A QUICK PHOTO
At the end of our wrapping session I'll take a photo of the wrapped gift and post it to Instagram. At the end of the project we'll have an Instagram gallery of all the gifts that are headed out to the lucky recipients!
Follow the project on Instagram for updates. Be sure to connect so you can see all the gift wrapped packages and keep in touch about future projects.
Wrapping Looks
I'll choose a direction for the wrapping based on our conversation. Below are some samples of wrapped gifts using postcards, folded papers, and ribbon. Since the project takes place in December, you can choose to wrap the gift with a vintage holiday flair. Check out the pics below to give you an idea of what your gift might look like.
ABOUT
Lisa Vining is a visual artist living in Texas. She was raised in Southern California, spent a decade in San Francisco, and had the good fortune of living in both, Brooklyn and Queens, New York. She was on the visual display team at Bloomingdale's flagship store in Manhattan, freelanced window displays on the Upper East Side, and worked at Lori McLean's jewelry design studio. Her work has been exhibited at The Williamsburg Art & Historical Center in Brooklyn, New York; Acme Art Gallery in Columbus, Ohio; UNT on the Square, Thin Line Fest, and the Greater Denton Arts Council in Denton, Texas; and Latino Cultural Center, NorthPark Center and Bath House Cultural Center in Dallas, Texas; Grist - A Journal of the Literary Arts, and most recently at 9th Street Studios.
SUPPORT
All gifts will be wrapped free of charge with HUGE thanks to the Greater Denton Arts Council micro grant program. Be sure to check them out and thank them for supporting the local art community!
I'd also like to thank Thistle Creative Reuse for generously donating weird and unusual treasures for the wrapping project. Find them at 618 W. University Drive, Denton, TX. Please stop by on your next visit to Denton and think REUSE before buying something new.
Tools of the trade
Papers
I've collected papers from various sources including: museum shops, London boutiques, dollar stores, hardware shops,and every place in between.
Ribbons
Most ribbon for this project I have are thrifted, found, and purchased new from local craft stores. I always seek out bright colors and unique patterns.
Toppers
My favorite toppers are embossed gold paper from Dresden, Germany. I have Swedish folded stars that I make myself, boxes of vintage postcards, and hand punched gift tags.
Book Your Appointment
Each appointments will last a 1/2 hour. There are 25 available spots over three days that will take place from December 4-6, 2025.
The appointments will take place on:
Thursday December 4, 2025
From 4:00-8:00 PM
Friday, December 5, 20205
From 3:00-8:00 PM
Saturday, December 6, 2025
11:00-3:00 PM
Use the booking section below to claim your spot.
You may also email artisticpresenceproject@gmail.com to join a waiting list or to reach me directly with questions.
Follow the project on Instagram for updates and photos of wrapped gifts!