Lockerly Arboretum reopened the renovated Woods Museum Sept. 5, highlighting the work of former Lockerly Arboretum educator Ellen Patton, who completed the changes as her Georgia College Capstone.
Patton, an art major with a concentration in museum studies, worked at the arboretum for about two years and, over the last year, worked on educational displays and graphics to offer more visuals and educational material for visitors of the museum.
“It was a very rewarding year of work,” said Patton. “I’m very proud of the educational posters and graphics I created to highlight each corner of the museum.”
The Woods Museum is split into four main sections, the center entrance introduces what Lockerly Arboretum is, the room to the right of the entrance goes over the history of the Rose Hill home along with highlighting some of the flora found on the grounds, and the main room is split between the reptiles and a section dedicated to teaching about geology and trees on the property.
“The goal was to explain better what was in each section. For example, for the reptiles, I expanded on what our native, non-native, and invasive species are and what venomous versus poisonous means, which will be used to teach in the reptilian classes hosted weekly,” said Patton.
Patton redesigned all the signage in the museum, added new exhibits, redesigned, and organized displays and worked to help create a better sense of “flow” in the museum.
“This is a building that does not always get a lot of attraction, but now we have more reasons for people to come and enjoy this space,” said Jennifer Pollard, executive director of Lockerly Arboretum. “Ellen was a huge help while working here and she was able to take the museum to the next level. She’s done a phenomenal job.”
Patton offered tours of the museum to attendees and showed off each of her graphics, helping attendees read them over and answered questions.
“There is a lot to learn and making it accessible to everyone is what I focused on. I wanted it to be visually appealing and easy to read for all ages,” said Patton. “Giving everyone a chance at an education, wherever that may be, is important.”
Patton will not be remaining in Milledgeville but stated that her work at Lockerly Arboretum and at Allied Arts in Milledgeville were impactful for her future.
“I hope my work continues to leave an impact and that there will be many more students who want to work with the community while they attend school. It was a very positive experience for me and I’m grateful to all that led and assisted me throughout the years,” said Patton.
Lockerly Arboretum is located at 1534 Irwinton Rd. in Milledgeville and open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.