Tricia Miller ’93 Featured in Insider Athens Magazine Miller was named one of the most inspiring women in Athens, Georgia.

In honor of Women’s History Month, Athens Insider magazine featured four inspiring women who are making a difference in Athens, Georgia. One of those standout women was Tricia Miller ’93, deputy director of collections and exhibits at the Georgia Museum of Art.

“There are so many inspiring women in Athens, so to be recognized and included along with the other three women in the article is an honor,” she said.

An English major at W&L, Miller said she “discovered the magic of art history classes” early on, which combined her love of writing, storytelling and art.

“I took every art history class that I could fit in my schedule,” she said.

She interned at the Reeves Museum of Ceramics researching Chinese porcelains, and she did an independent study project for Spring Term of her senior year for which she interviewed Elizabeth Otey Watson, donor of the new Watson Pavilion. The result of her six-week-long project was a biography of Watson and her husband on how they amassed their collection of Chinese porcelain to be displayed in the gallery. Miller also helped pack the collection and install it for exhibition. The experience of having a hand in several aspects of museum work throughout her time at W&L solidified her career path.

“I loved everything about the experience — meeting the donor, learning about how they collected, examining and identifying or researching the objects, packing and moving them and installing them in the galleries,” Miller said. “The experience opened my eyes to my desired career path, and it was the beginning of a long career in museums. What a gift to be able to know what I wanted to do when I graduated from college.”

The Georgia Museum of Art houses more than 19,000 artifacts, and Miller oversees the museum’s Exhibitions Department and Registrar’s Department, which includes managing everything on display and storing items. She also secures and returns artifacts for temporary exhibitions and acquires new additions to and cares for the museum’s permanent collection.

“What I love most about working in the museum industry is working with creative people who are passionate about art, history and material culture,” Miller said. “Museum professionals are a dedicated group of people who are often working behind the scenes to bring inspiring, thought-provoking and enjoyable experiences to the public.”

One of Miller’s favorite parts of the job is handling the artifacts directly; she loves to work closely with works of art from the 18th and 19th centuries.

“As a museum professional who has worked in the industry for over 25 years now, I see my role now as mentor. I think a lot about how I can pass on the knowledge and experience I have to those who are early in their careers in the field,” she said. “At the same time, I look to the emerging museum professionals to teach me to look at art, our approach to art and our museum work in a new light. I don’t want to stop learning.”