INDIANAPOLIS (September 10, 2026) – Organized by cultural development firm GANGGANG, the sixth anniversary BUTTER Fine Art Fair powered by AES Indiana and presented by SomeraRoad presented the work of 53 exhibiting artists, 13 BFA student artists, nine galleries, and five curators, as a commitment to growing the arts ecosystem in Indianapolis and beyond. Taking place September 3-6, this year’s fair spotlighted the talent and perspectives of emerging, independent, and established artists from Indiana, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Miami, Louisville, Atlanta, Seattle, Cincinnati, and Lagos, Nigeria.

2026 ARTWORK SALES 

> 107 artworks sold, totaling $298,918

> In addition, participating BUTTER gallery LA-based Art Melanated sold four (4) pieces, Wisconsin-based Mahogany Gallery sold two (2) pieces, Baltimore-based DND Infinity Group sold three (3) pieces, Columbus-based Brandt Galleries sold 24 pieces, Chicago-based Black Figure Bureau sold three (3) pieces, Richmond-based Southside Contemporary sold five (5) pieces, and Indianapolis-based 1000 Words Gallery sold one (1) piece

> $2,794 average sales price per artwork

2026 AWARDS + NOTABLE ACQUISITIONS

> Tyrese Haliburton, of the Indiana Pacers, acquired three (3) pieces, including Quiet Possession by Dwight White II and Soul Food by JaTaiRee Hudson Jr.

> The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis acquired one (1) piece by Marcus Robbins entitled Our Lady of Justice: Holding the Weight of Sin

> Indianapolis-based artist FITZ! sold one (1) piece, in addition to taking home BUTTER’s second annual Alan Mills “Best in Show” Award presented by Everwise for his WHEN THE WIND BLOWS painting

> New Jersey-based Lavett Ballard took home “The Cultural Impact Award” for her installation entitled The Inheritance 

> Columbus, Ohio-based artist Gavin Benjamin sold the most pieces during the show, with 24 total pieces being acquired 

> Author and curator Sarah Urist Green acquired four (4) pieces by Indianapolis-based artist and former BUTTER fellow Kenny Mason

> Indianapolis-based BFA Student Artist Luke Johnson was awarded the “BFA Student Showcase: Best in Show Award” for his 10-foot cardboard sculpture figure entitled Doughboy

> First-time BUTTER BFA Student Artists Dariel Edwards, Naala Alexis, Lauryn Smith, Charlecia Tillman, Tamia McCoy, and James Beavers each made their debut by selling one (1) piece; Luke Johnson sold two (2) pieces. 

> Indianapolis-based Shaunt’e Lewis sold all three (3) of her textile pieces featuring Floral Heirloom

BUTTER ATTENDANCE

> 9,000+ attendees, including students under 18

> 61 Indiana-based schools toured the exhibition during BUTTER Education Day, with more than 1,100 students in attendance from 16 high schools, 34 elementary and middle schools including Pike and Warren Townships, Irvington Community, and Hamilton County, plus two universities, four homeschool groups, and 3 city-based youth organizations

> 500+ artists, performers, musicians, Conversation Stage speakers, DJs, photographers, staff, and volunteers

“BUTTER was as magical as it is each year. The incredible artists and artworks, team, musicians, volunteers and patrons of the fair create an experience that centers care and economic justice,” said Mali Bacon, Co-Founder of GANGGANG and BUTTER Fine Art Fair. “I’m so proud of the students who introduced themselves via their work, of the Collectors Club who continue to fuel the fair and the spirit of joy that is at the core of BUTTER. Year six marks a major milestone with the fair eclipsing $2 million in total sales for artists. We’re so proud of what we’ve created in, for and with Indianapolis.”

Since its inception in 2021, BUTTER has welcomed 75,000+ attendees including more than 20,000 young people as part of BUTTER’s free admission for 18 and under policy funded by Eli Lilly and Company. In six years, BUTTER has made an undeniable impact on the art world and the community, welcoming 28 curators and 347 contemporary artists who have sold more than $2,000,000 of artwork, including 30 BUTTER artwork acquisitions by 17 major institutions for permanent collections. 

Artwork from this year’s collection is still available for purchase online. See the BUTTER Artist catalog here and see the Gallery Partners catalog here.

BUTTER SPONSORS

BUTTER is made possible because of support from generous organizations and individuals like 3M, A Couple Cooks, Aasif and Naomi Bade, AES Indiana, Alan Mills, Aqua Systems, Ascentra Strategies, Ash & Elm Cider Co., Barnes & Thornburg,  Bohall Design & Fabrication, Bone Dry Roofing, Branch Electric, Business Furniture Co., By Design, C2 Media, CBK Industries HVAC, Citizens Energy Group, Cunningham Restaurant Group, Downtown Indy Alliance, Elements Financial, Eli Lilly and Company, Enterprise Mobility, Everwise, FHLBank Indianapolis, First Merchants, Herron School of Art + Design, Hi and Mighty, Hope Plumbing, IMS / Penske Entertainment, Indiana Sports Corp, IndyGo, IND Airport, Indy Health District, IU Health, JO Financial Management, Johnson Jensen Williams, Lumina Foundation, Mays Chemical, Nomad Coworking Studio,  Old National Bank, OUTFRONT, Printing Partners, Purdue University in Indianapolis, Riley Children’s Foundation, SIMPLICITY Juice, SomeraRoad, Tea’s Me Cafe, The Alexander, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, The Indianapolis Foundation, United Way of Central Indiana, Visit Indy, Wormser Casey, and Yelp Indy.

ABOUT BUTTER

The place where you can be yourself, BUTTER is a multi-day fine art fair that features artwork made by Black visual artists from Indiana and across the country. As described by Ebony, Forbes, and The New York Times, BUTTER serves as a new model for economic justice in the arts, aiming to sell or loan 100% of the exhibiting artworks, giving 100% of the proceeds to the artists.

ABOUT GANGGANG

GANGGANG is a cultural development firm centering beauty, equity, and culture in cities. An Indianapolis-based non-profit, the gang advocates for artists by using creativity to address real-world problems. Since being founded by creative entrepreneurs Mali and Alan Bacon in 2020, the mission at GANGGANG has been the same—produce, promote, and preserve the culture. For more information on the founding organization, visit www.ganggangculture.com or follow on social media @ganggangculture.

Media Inquiries:

Keri Kirschner, [email protected]
Photos from this year and past exhibitions: https://butterartfair.com/photos/.
Making of BUTTER video here.