Where does a holiday art market go once its host finally has a building made for it? Last winter the Oneida Nation Arts Program held its Native Holiday Art Market at the NWTC Corporate Conference Center. It drew 36 vendors and more than 330 shoppers. On Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026, the market moves to the Kahnekano·lú Cultural Center on Airport Drive.
That move is one piece of a bigger change in Oneida this winter. The art market, the cultural center's first rotating exhibit and a new pottery studio are all run by the Oneida Nation and housed in its own spaces. Together they turn the new center from a museum you visit once into a building with a reason to come back every few months.
From a County Road to Airport Drive
For years, the Oneida Nation Museum sat at W892 County Hwy EE. Work on its replacement broke ground in November 2024, as FOX 11 reported. The Kahnekano·lú Cultural Center held its grand opening at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 20, 2026.
The name means "Precious Water," pronounced gu-nay-gu-no-lu. It points back to Duck Creek, whose water was central to the Oneida Nation's decision to settle near it in the 1820s, according to Press Times.
The building covers 21,000 square feet. It has updated interactive exhibits, a bigger gift shop and an outdoor cultural performance space. The collection started with a small museum in 1979. It now holds more than 3,000 objects, 12,000 photographs and 25,000 pieces of archival material.
Speaking to Press Times at the opening, Cultural Center Director Stacy Coon described what the move changed:
"This new location is much more visible and accessible to visitors. We are pleased to have a facility that is conducive to educating our visitors about our history, culture and traditions."
Dec. 5: The Market Comes Home
The Oneida Nation's Update Oneida post from Oct. 15 announced the Oneida Nation Arts Program Holiday Art Market for Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026, at the new cultural center. Vendor applications were open at the time. The Arts Program's own page calls it the Winter Art Market. It says the market brings Indigenous art "from the wide spectrum of modern to traditional, fine art to craft art."
Last year's numbers show the scale. That market had 36 vendors, two of them Indigenous-owned food businesses serving Indigenous cuisine, and it welcomed more than 330 guests. This year it's in a building designed for exhibits and programming, with a gift shop down the hall, so shoppers can visit the galleries and buy gifts from artists on the same trip.
The Arts Program shares event updates on its Facebook page. That's where the market's details will appear as the date gets closer.
January: The Gallery Starts Rotating
The market brings people in for one Saturday. The temporary gallery is what makes repeat visits worthwhile.
The center has a large temporary gallery set aside for rotating exhibits and programming. Its first show is "Oneida Royalty Past and Present." According to a July 20, 2026 memo from the center's collections registrar, the exhibit opens to the public Jan. 8, 2027, after an evening opening reception on Jan. 7, and runs through March 26.
The subject is the Miss Oneida, Jr. Miss Oneida and Lil Miss Oneida titles, a tradition that dates to 1968. Past and present titleholders were invited to lend their crowns and sashes, along with photos from the year they were crowned and from today. According to the memo, the exhibit is planned around five or six large panels covering:
- How Oneida royalty started
- Who can take part
- What winners do during their year
- What the titles mean to the Nation
- Who made the crowns and sashes
A digital kiosk is also planned. It will loop short video answers from titleholders to one question: "What did it mean to you to be Oneida Royalty?" The memo also says the panels may later travel to the visitor center, SEOTS and powwow.
For anyone who toured the permanent exhibits over the summer, this is the first time the center will have something new on its walls. A gallery built to rotate means the center will keep changing after opening year.
Nov. 20: Clay on Packerland Drive
The Arts Program's other new space is at 1270 Packerland Dr. Its pottery studio hosts a Clay & Culture Workshop on Friday, Nov. 20, 2026, from 4 to 6 p.m. in Cottage #4.
The Arts Program also plans to rent out studio rooms there. Its page says bookings are coming in November 2026 and tells readers to watch its Facebook page for the announcement. Anyone who books will need to complete a background check form first. The program's email for questions is [email protected].
The studio gives the cultural center's calendar its everyday side. A clay workshop on a Friday afternoon in November, a market on a Saturday in December and an exhibit opening in January add up to one arts calendar run from places the Nation operates.
The Winter Calendar at a Glance
| Date | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, Nov. 20, 2026, 4–6 p.m. | Clay & Culture Workshop | ONAP Pottery Studio, 1270 Packerland Dr., Cottage #4 |
| Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026 | Oneida Nation Arts Program Holiday Art Market | Kahnekano·lú Cultural Center, 760 Airport Dr. |
| Thursday, Jan. 7, 2027, evening | Opening reception, "Oneida Royalty Past and Present" | Kahnekano·lú Cultural Center |
| Friday, Jan. 8 to Friday, March 26, 2027 | "Oneida Royalty Past and Present" open to the public | Kahnekano·lú Cultural Center |
Before You Go
Address. The center is at 760 Airport Dr., Oneida, WI 54155.
Hours. When FOX 11 toured the building in July, it listed gallery hours as Tuesday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The gallery is closed Sunday and Monday. The gift shop also opens on Mondays. The center closes on certain holidays, so check before driving over during Thanksgiving week or the December holidays.
Admission. The center's official page lists these prices:
- Adults: $11
- Children: $7
- Elders and members of other tribal nations: $6
- Free for Oneida tribal members, veterans, Blue Star Moms and employees with a badge
Planning around the Dec. 5 market. The market falls on a Saturday. The gallery's Saturday hours run 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., which makes a morning visit a natural way to see the exhibits and shop the market in one trip. Confirm the market's own hours through the Arts Program's Facebook page before you go.
If your own winter includes a move, an estate or a house sale on the west side of Brown County, Team Forehand keeps track of what's opening near you and can help you plan the real estate side around it. Schedule a free consultation and we'll go over your timeline with you.
