From Indy to Inglewood, the Country’s Most Equitable Fine Art Fair  Will Expand West to the Cultural Heartbeat of Los Angeles

INDIANAPOLIS (August 28, 2025) – Today, GANGGANG, an Indianapolis-based cultural development firm working to center beauty, culture, and equity in cities, announced that its nationally recognized BUTTER Fine Art Fair has plans to expand west to Los Angeles, hosting the first out of market exhibition February 26 – March 1, 2026. BUTTER LA will showcase an intentionally curated lineup of independent, emerging, mid-career, and established artists, highlighting the creativity of the African diaspora in conjunction with the city’s Frieze Week.

Since its founding in 2021 in Indianapolis by husband-and-wife-duo Mali and Alan Bacon, BUTTER has redefined how the art world engages with Black visual artists. The no-commission, no-censorship model maximizes artist earnings by working to sell or loan 100% of the exhibition, giving 100% of the art sales to the artists. BUTTER has generated over $1 million in sales to date, building one of the country’s most celebrated new art experiences. 

“Los Angeles has been waiting for something fresh like BUTTER,” said Jac Forbes, California-based art advisor and curator. “There’s a hunger here for innovative cultural events that not only cultivate community, but also economic equity. BUTTER is a proof of concept globally that centers care and pushes us all into the future of fairs.”

Nakeyta Moore, past BUTTER curator and founder of ARTLOUDLA, a collectors support and stewardship platform, will lead curatorial efforts for BUTTER LA, alongside advisor Jac Forbes and creative directors Mali and Alan Bacon. Curators that select artists and artworks for BUTTER LA to be announced. Past BUTTER exhibitions have featured work from noteworthy artists such as April Bey, Samuel Levi Jones, Autumn Breon, Kim Dacres, Cortney Herron, Sonia Barrett, Móyòsóré Martins, Mason Archie, Ashley Nora, FITZ, and Gary Gee, with acquisitions from major collections including the National Museum of African American History and Culture at the Smithsonian Institute; SF MoMA; The Whitney; The Rubell Family Collection; LACMA; Art Institute of Chicago; Tate Britain Galleries; The Studio Museum in Harlem; Cranbrook Art Museum; Contemporary Museum of East Africa; and Detroit Institute of Arts.

During July of this year, BUTTER brought a taste of its vision to Context Projects in View Park, California, designed in collaboration with Khalil Kinsey to introduce the model to top collectors, institutions, and galleries. The temporary exhibition featured work by four California and four Indiana-based artists, resulting in the sales of 10 artworks leading to $28,700 in sales (average sale: $2.870). 

“We’ve grown an incredible model and experience in central Indiana and are thrilled to see it expand to benefit the artists and community of LA” said Mali Bacon, co-founder and creative director of GANGGANG. “We’re connecting the industry and the voices within it, spreading our geographic reach, but more importantly, our mission, which means more perspective, more learning, more ownership, authorship and preservation.”

The multi-day, cultural experience will take place during Black History Month as both a celebration and a call to action — honoring the legacy of Black artistry while investing in its future. Similar to GANGGANG’s flagship fair model, BUTTER LA will showcase 50 percent of exhibiting artists from California, with 25 percent of the artists coming from Indiana. 

The remaining artists will be selected from other cities from across the country and the globe. Programming will include BUTTER Education Day, connecting students to creative talent while countering the recent trend of disinvestment in arts education. And the fair’s popular Conversation Stage, which brings forth critical dialogue and discussion around culture and creativity. The emphasis on DJ’s as backdrop to art sales will continue and another BUTTER signature, the Performance Stage, will highlight the area’s top live music talent.  

BUTTER will make an appearance at Taste of Soul festival in Los Angeles in October and kick off its Collectors Club 2026 programming through a private dinner during All-Star Weekend in February. Tickets are expected to go on sale in December 2025. For more information about BUTTER LA, visit https://butterartfair.com.

ABOUT GANGGANG
GANGGANG is a cultural development firm and creative advocacy agency working to center beauty, culture, and equity in cities by activating the creative economy. We believe that artists are the crux and heroes of society and thus require investment for the viability of places. Headquartered in Indianapolis, GANGGANG is a nonprofit organization working with more than 700 artists. For more information on the founding organization, visit www.ganggangculture.com or follow on social media @ganggangculture.

ABOUT BUTTER
BUTTER Fine Art Fair is a multi-day fine art fair organized by GANGGANG that centers the care and economic viability of Black visual artists. Anchored in Indianapolis over Labor Day weekend, BUTTER serves as a new model for economic justice in the arts and a catalyst for career transformation. Aiming to sell or loan 100% of the exhibited artworks, BUTTER gives 100% of sales proceeds to the artists.

MEDIA RESOURCES
Media inquiries, including interview requests, advance tours, press passes and photography:
Keri Kirschner, [email protected], (646) 717-2848
Josiah Jones, [email protected] / Paris Tyler, [email protected]
Download the official BUTTER Media Kit here: https://butterartfair.com/media-kit/