A new exhibition featuring the work of North Carolina's American Indian potters opens at the North Carolina Pottery Center in Seagrove Saturday, May 17. The exhibition and all events are free of charge.

From 1 to 3 p.m., Haliwa-Saponi potter Senora Lynch, Lumbee potter Herman Oxendine, Cherokee potter Joel Queen, and Catawba potter Caroleen Sanders will be demonstrating traditional and contemporary pottery-making methods, each distinctly different.

Visitors of all ages will have an opportunity to make their own coil pots and try their hands at a variety of decorating techniques.

Also from 1 to 3 p.m., the North Carolina Archaeological Society members will be offering pottery identification and dating, including prehistoric pottery, traditional pottery, historic pottery (imported and U.S.), prehistoric lithics (stone) and N.C. PAST "History from Things" Teaching Kits.

The exhibit "Contemporary Pottery from North Carolina's American Indian Communities and Contemporary Catawba Indian Pottery" will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with an artists' reception from 3 to 5 p.m. The work will be on display through August 23, 2008.

For more information, call (336) 873-8430 or visit www.ncpotterycenter.com. The exhibition and events are sponsored by the Marion Stedman Covington Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts and the North Carolina Archaeological Society.

The mission of the North Carolina Pottery Center is to promote public awareness of and appreciation for the history, heritage, and ongoing tradition of pottery making in North Carolina. The Center is located at 233 East Avenue, Seagrove.