2005 NAI Media Award for Best Wayside Exhibit Jonesboro, Arkansas Exhibit Size: 5,000 square feet Services Performed: Exhibit Design, Hand-painted Murals, Dioramas, Audio Visuals, Graphics, Casework, Installation Split Rock Studios teamed with Schmeeckle Interpreters to create exhibits for the new Crowley’s Ridge Nature Center in Jonesboro, Arkansas. The project began with an interpretive master-planning phase, where the client, Schmeeckle Interpreters, and Split Rock Studios worked together to conduct a thorough visitor study, site analysis, and brainstorming of potential exhibits. Moving into the concept design phase, Schmeeckle continued to develop the ideas through text writing, while Split Rock concentrated on the exhibit design. Throughout the entire design process, the client played an integral role by providing the vision as well as numerous research materials specific to the area. One thing that the architect and the client knew they wanted was a centerpiece entry feature. They imagined a two-story diorama of the Ridge ecosystem. Split Rock Studios developed this idea into a dramatic diorama, complete with running water, a virtual thunderstorm, ambient audio, and a host of specific plants and animals to interpret the natural history and hydrology of the Ridge landscape.