This is a summary of a story that originally appeared on the School of Nursing .
The quilts on display across the Duke University School of Nursing are not just layered with fabric; they're layered with meaning.
Quilting has long been connected to health and healing, which makes it a natural fit for a school of nursing. Quilts have been used to memorialize lives and to support patients living with serious illnesses. Research has also noted the therapeutic value of creating quilts.
"Both quilting and nursing have much in common," said Barbara Turner, vice dean for faculty affairs and development. "They represent care, comfort, and creativity, and there is an art and a science to both."
Fourteen framed quilts hang throughout the Pearson Building. They were selected by Catherine Gilliss, who served as dean of the School of Nursing and vice chancellor for nursing affairs from 2004 to 2014. "My objective was to populate the new space with art that was representative of North Carolina," Gilliss said.
Some pieces become part of the daily rhythm of the building. One quilt outside Dean Michael Relf's office depicts Duke Chapel. "I pass by it multiple times a day," said Relf. "It brings peace to the space."
Several people in the school quilt themselves. Turner has quilted for 40 years and describes it as her "quiet, contemplative hobby." She points out the stitching in each piece, noting how it adds motion and personality to the work.
"Quilting is neither inexpensive nor fast," Turner said. For her, it is a careful process shaped by intention.
Debra Mattice, who worked at the School of Nursing for 19 years and retired in 2025, has quilted since the 1980s. "Hand quilting is very meditative and therapeutic for me," she said.
The collection continues to grow. Recently, students presented a handmade quilt to Ernest Grant as part of a class assignment. "I am very, very honored," Grant said.
March 20 is National Quilting Day.
This is a summary of a story that originally appeared on the School of Nursing .
