The new exhibit, “Cultures Evolve, Traditions Remain”, developed at Wichita State and will be at the Lowell D. Holmes Museum of Anthropology in Neff Hall for about a year.

The opening reception on Monday gave attendees the opportunity to sample traditional Hopi Indian food, talk with anthropology students and professors, and see the new exhibit.

The artifact showcase added to the museum’s collection from southwest Native American tribes and featured clothing, musical instruments and religious tools of the Hopi and Navajo Indians.

The display cases were built by WSU students and faculty during a semester-long project.

“We all kind of took a different part. We had to do all of the research and fabrication of the mounts,” said Jessica Kerr, one of the exhibit builders. “We did all the research from the beginning of the semester to spring break, and we have been setting it up from spring break to now.”

Kerr, who is an art major, said she found the intricate design aspects of the pottery and clothing to be interesting, and that it was cool to have an exhibit like this that is “so close and easy to travel to.”

Another builder of the exhibit, Lynsay Flory, said she enjoyed handling the artifacts and the insights she gained into the Hopi and Navajo cultures.

“It’s true, cultures evolve, but traditions remain. It’s old, but there are new elements incorporated. It’s not stagnant,” Flory said. She compared the change in culture to a river.

“It might be the same river, but that does not mean that it is always stagnant or that all of a sudden it is no longer moving. It changes.”

The museum is open to the public 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday though Friday.