First-ever children’s exhibit opens at Native American Studies Center

After four years of planning and preparing, the Native American Studies Center opened its first-ever exhibit geared just for elementary-aged children.

Opening Tuesday, Sept. 3 in the Duke Energy Gallery, “Clay and Play!” is an educational children’s exhibit designed with immersive play in mind, including colorful displays and wall murals, hands-on pottery replica displays, an interactive Three Sisters Garden where guests can “pick” corn, beans, and squash, and more.

A new children’s exhibit at the Native American Studies Center, “Clay and Play!,” features an interactive Three Sisters Garden where young visitors can “pick” corn, beans, and squash. Here, Center Visitor Coordinator Katelyn Shull paints a corn stalk during the exhibit’s installation.

Center Special Projects Coordinator Elisabeth Avelar developed the exhibit, wanting to not only create a kid-friendly exhibit, but also to create an exhibit correlating to South Carolina’s educational standards in history and covering the educational disciplines of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) and literacy.

“We want this exhibit to encourage curiosity and creativity in children’s minds,” said Avelar. “I want our student tour groups and young visitors to be able to touch almost everything on display and be immersed in the history and culture. This exhibit is not just about history or what’s in a textbook, it’s about showing Native culture in a way that’s kid-friendly.”

One of the exhibit’s hands-on elements allows kids to see pottery replicas to view the steps in creating pottery, learning how a vessel transforms from coils of stacked clay to a smooth finished product; another area includes a Lego station where kids can learn about traditional architectural structures of local tribes and then build their own replicas.

Another nook features books about tribal folklore and culture; nearby, kids can bring those stories to life with puppets in a storytelling station. Throughout the run of the exhibit, the stories will rotate to include other traditional tales.

“The storytelling area is specifically to teach children life lessons,” said Avelar. “In some cases, the tales were to teach children to listen to adults, or to not talk to strangers. These tales will not only tell a story, but also define what the moral of the story is.”

The exhibit is sponsored by a generous donation from Nutramax Laboratories, which funded the design and creation of the interactive children’s display.

“Clay and Play!” opens in the Native American Studies Center’s Duke Energy Gallery on Tuesday, Sept. 3. Center Special Projects Coordinator Elisabeth Avelar, who has planned the exhibit since 2020, is pictured here installing a kayak in a play area depicting a river scene.

“Nutramax Laboratories has proven to have an interest in making the community a better place,” said Avelar. “Without them, we wouldn’t be able to offer such a unique space in downtown Lancaster.”

Avelar is planning a reception and several family programs in conjunction with the exhibit, with the first Family Day taking place at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26; events will be announced on the Center’s social media and website in the coming weeks.

“Clay and Play!” is on display in the Center’s Duke Energy Gallery through Aug. 5, 2026. For more information about the exhibit or the Center, call (803) 313-7172 or visit www.nativeamericanstudies.org.