Fifth Edition Exhibition to Feature Returning Favorites and New Experiences—including Inaugural “Best of Show” Award, A Collectors’ Club Tea Party, and the Debut of Art Melanated 

INDIANAPOLIS (July 17, 2025) – The fifth edition of BUTTER Fine Art Fair is back and bolder than ever, debuting a dynamic new mix of programming, activations, and immersive cultural experiences. This year’s fair will feature new awards, interactive pop-ups, artist-led tours, historic walking tours, and collaborative community partnerships that celebrate Black artistry in all its excellence.

“There’s an undeniable electricity in the air this year. Every program, every pop-up, every collaboration is a heartbeat in the living archive we’ve built together,” said  Deonna Craig, Director, BUTTER Fine Art Fair. “These experiences aren’t just activations—they’re invitations into Black imagination, legacy, and excellence. This is what it looks like when community, creativity, and culture move as one.”

ART MELANATED JOINS AS NEW EXHIBITING GALLERY
Led by the husband-and-wife duo Sol Aponte and Jennia Fredrique, Los Angeles-based Art Melanated joins BUTTER this year for the first time, presenting a curated selection of artwork that bridges generations, honors time, and uplifts the enduring spirit of the diaspora. Created to  celebrate Black artistry while making collecting more accessible and community-driven, Art Melanated’s collection will include two striking portraits by Kenyan artist Eddy Ochieng, a heartfelt piece by Haitian-American artist Guy Stanley Philoche, and two textile pieces by artist Nneka Jones, the Trinidadian visionary featured recently on the cover of Time magazine. 

“Together, these works create a poetic timeline—each piece a pulse in the collective memory of who we are and who we’ve always been,” said Sol Aponte, founder of Art Melanated.

ALAN MILLS “BEST OF SHOW” AWARD
Celebrating artistic greatness, visionary storytelling, and cultural impact, the fifth edition of BUTTER will feature the first-ever Alan Mills “Best of Show” Award, presented by Everwise Credit Union. The $5,000 juried award recognizes one outstanding artist whose work exemplifies innovation, excellence, and influence. All BUTTER 5 exhibiting artists are eligible for consideration, and the winner will be announced at Preview Night on August 28.

COLLECTORS’ CLUB TEA PARTY ON BUTTER SUNDAY
This year, BUTTER is proud to partner with WNBA legend Tamika Catchings for the first-ever Collectors’ Club tea party event, taking place at noon on Sunday, August 31 featuring specialty tea pairings and biscuits prepared by 2025 BUTTER curator and culinary artist Samuel Trotter. As an added bonus, fans of fine art can enjoy a taste of BUTTER early through an activation hosted at Tea’s Me Café IU Indianapolis from August 18–22.

INDIANA AVENUE WALK & TALK TOURS
Indiana storyteller and historian Sampson Levingston returns to BUTTER Fine Art Fair with iconic Indiana Avenue Walk & Talk Tours, taking place Friday, August 29 during Education Day and between 11:00AM – 4:00PM on Saturday, August 30 and Sunday, August 31. BUTTER attendees should RSVP in advance as these popular free tours always sell out:
https://butterartfair.com/walk-talk-rsvp/


EDUCATION DAY PLUS A CHILDREN’S MUSEUM POP UP
Children of all ages are encouraged to celebrate two major milestones with us this year—BUTTER’s 5th Anniversary and The Children’s Museum’s 100th Birthday!

– August 7 (4–8 PM): Special BUTTER pop-up at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
– August 29: On-site activations with visiting artist alums at BUTTER’s Education Day and throughout the duration of the weekend.

Students under 18 receive free admission to BUTTER Friday–Sunday, thanks to this long-standing partnership, in addition to support from Lumina Foundation and Eli Lilly and Company.

A FILMMAKERS TAKE ON BUTTER
On Wednesday, August 27, guests are invited to Alamo Drafthouse Cinema from 6:00-9:00PM for the red carpet premiere of “Naptown Narratives: Season 5 Starring 4200Kory,” a docuseries created to celebrate the culture of Indianapolis through amplifying Black storytellers. In partnership with Life In Indy, the series has helped tell stories from people all over the city who are helping build Indianapolis culture and creating a better quality of life for all. On Friday–Sunday of BUTTER, attendees can learn more about the artists through a filmmaker’s lens, hearing from Chris Wilborn, owner of Natural Born Leaders Visuals and director of “Moving With The Spirit,” a short film that follows three Indianapolis-based artists—Gary Gee, Israel Solomon, and Johnson Simon—on their journey to embrace faith and overcome barriers to victory. More than a documentary about their art, this film explores resilience, perseverance, and the deeper forces that drive them.

BUTTER SPONSORS
BUTTER is made possible because of support from generous organizations and individuals like Title Sponsor AES Indiana, Lumina Foundation, SomeraRoad, Eli Lilly and Company, ​​The Alexander, Grounded Plants Gifts & Home, and A Couple Cooks, Aqua Systems, Alan Mills, Ayers Foundation, Barnes & Thornburg, Bill & Brenda Shrewsberry, Black Onyx Management, Bluebeard, Broadway United Methodist Church, C2 Media, Citizens Energy Group, Conner Prairie, Dorsey Foundation, Downtown Indy, Elements Financial, Everwise Credit Union, Five Four, Gather 22, Girl Scouts of Central Indiana, Grounded Plants, Gifts & Home, Indy Chamber, Indiana Sports Corp, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis Recorder, IndyGo, Indy Arts Council and the City of Indianapolis, IU Health, KeyBank, Lilly, Lumina Foundation, Mays Chemical Co., NFP, an Aon Company, OUTFRONT Media, Old National Bank, Pacers Sports and Entertainment, Printing Partners, Tea’s Me Café, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, Tinker Street, Shake Up, SomeraRoad, Solid State, SIMPLICITY Juice, St. Elmo, The Alexander, VisionLoft, Visit Indy, Women’s Fund, and 2nd Street Creative.

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 artist interview requests, advance tours, press passes and photography needs: Keri Kirschner, [email protected], (646) 717-2848

Download the official BUTTER Media Kit here: https://butterartfair.com/media-kit/