Brookgreen Gardens announces new Vice President for Creative Education

Brookgreen Gardens has announced the appointment of Natalie C. Jones as Vice President for Creative Education. Jones will oversee the development and implementation of all creative educational programming at Brookgreen, which educates a diverse audience on the art, history, and nature of the Lowcountry.

“Natalie’s extensive experience in creative education and her passion for the arts will be a valuable asset to our organization,” says Page Kiniry, President and CEO of Brookgreen. “Our Creative Education department has thrived under former VP Ron Daise, and we are confident that Natalie will continue growing great resources such as hands-on workshops, lectures, and tours.”

Natalie is a Rock Hill native who joins the Brookgreen Gardens staff with experience in the arts, education, nonprofits, and community programming. For the last year, she served as the Director of Public Art and Programs for the Charleston Parks Conservancy. During this time, she focused on curating public art installations, fostering relationships with community partners of color, and growing the public program offerings by 43% in 2022 respectively.

Through early exposure to parks and gardens, Natalie became passionate about interweaving community, education, and the arts within public green spaces. She has over a decade of experience working in inner-city schools as a visual arts and analog photography teacher. After teaching in several states, Natalie returned to her roots and started working for a museum in Charlotte, N.C. During this time, she curated educational and public programming and developed and facilitated equity, diversity, and inclusion workshops for the local school district and partnering organizations.

Natalie completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Norfolk State University (NSU) where she also obtained her K-12 teacher certification. After graduating from NSU, Natalie attended The Ohio State University, earning a Master of Arts degree in art education with a focus on arts, policy, and administration. Once she had five years of teaching experience under her belt, Natalie returned to graduate school to earn a Master of Arts degree in historic textiles and material culture from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Currently, she serves on the National Art Education Association board of directors and the curatorial committee for the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture.

For more information about Brookgreen Gardens, visit www.brookgreen.org.