INDIANAPOLIS – GANGGANG, a cultural development and creative advocacy firm, is now selling tickets for BUTTER, a multi-day fine art fair showcasing the work of more than 50 Black visual artists from Indiana and across the country. As described by 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.
In 2022, BUTTER welcomed 8,000+ attendees, selling 109 artworks for a combined total of $250,000 during the four-day fair, with post-sales reaching an additional $210,000. To date, BUTTER is responsible for more than $500,000 in artwork sales, maximizing the earnings of 72 Black artists by giving them all the proceeds for their work.
BUTTER is deepening its commitment to equity, artist care, and building new arts infrastructures at the local level by expanding the curatorial team, establishing curated presentations, and launching new collecting initiatives for the fair’s third edition in 2023.
“BUTTER has been a curated fair from its beginnings in 2021. The curatorial team reserves at least 50% of the exhibitor roster for Indiana-based artists who are presented alongside national artists as a commitment to growing the arts ecosystem in the Midwest,” said Mali Bacon, Founder of GANGGANG and BUTTER.
The 2023 fair will present work from more than 50 artists including Aaron Coleman, April Bey, DELISHA, Joshua AM Ross, Shabez Jamaal, Terrible Tony, Yeabsera Tabb, and more.
New 2023 initiatives to build healthier ecosystems that center the care and economic viability of creatives include professional industry training and workshops for artists and the launch of New Collectors’ Club, an intimate and mentor-based effort to share knowledge, resources, and strategies for building intentional and ambitious personal art collections.
Made possible by Title Sponsor AES Indiana and Presenting Sponsors Newfields and JPMorgan Chase, BUTTER will take place in multiple spaces and floors at the newly renovated Stutz factory building in downtown Indianapolis, including the outdoor courtyard and 10th Street between Senate and Capitol Ave. The daily schedule is as follows:
- Monday, August 28: New Collectors’ Club (private)
- Wednesday, August 30: Artist Reception (BUTTER artists only)
- Thursday, August 31: Preview Night, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Founders’ Dinner at 8 p.m. (private)
- Friday, September 1: Opening Day and Night, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Saturday, September 2: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., with MELT 9 p.m. to midnight
- Sunday, September 3: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., with Testimony Service at 2 p.m.
Braydee Euliss returns to BUTTER for her third year, as Director of Curatorial Affairs. Malina Simone Bacon and Alan Bacon, founders of GANGGANG and BUTTER, serve as Curators and Creative Directors for the fair. Euliss has expanded the 2023 curatorial team to work in alignment with GANGGANG’s larger focus on artist care, artists’ rights, and authorship. The team includes Indiana-based curators Alyse Tucker Bounds and Greg Rose. Bounds is the Visual Portfolio Manager for GANGGANG and serves as Associate Curator in support of special projects for the fair. Rose serves as the Curatorial Fellow, leading from their past exhibitor experiences. Kia Davis, founder of KKURATED Creative Agency, joins the team as Guest Curator and brings more than 15 years experience in the sports and entertainment licensing industry to her work with the fair and this year’s exhibiting artists.
Open to the public, the experiential art fair will also include live music and dance performances, in addition to sounds curated by DJ MetroGnome, and MELT curated by Nigel Long, a multi-sensory Saturday night dance party.
Weekend attendees can expect to find new merchandise in the BUTTER Pop-Up store, which has doubled in size from last year. Guests can also expect a series of artist and expert talks on the Conversation Stage sponsored by Indiana Humanities and multiple days of live entertainment on the Performance Stage sponsored Forty5 Presents. Historic walking tours of Indiana Avenue will be offered again this year, led by Sampson Levingston on select days. The weekend concludes with a Testimony Service.
General Admission tickets are $40, which includes unlimited access to three different days and experiences on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Preview Night tickets for Thursday are $175 and include General Admission weekend return access. Students 18 and under are encouraged to attend on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at no cost.
Tickets are on sale at www.butterartfair.com as are details on the visual artists, daily talks, artist workshops, musical performances, and historic walking tours. For more information on New Collectors’ Club, a program designed to cultivate the art market in the Midwest, email [email protected].
About GANGGANG
GANGGANG is a creative advocacy agency based in Indianapolis working to center culture, equity, and beauty in cities. For more information, visit www.ganggangculture.com or follow on social media @ganggangculture. For more information on BUTTER and volunteer opportunities, visit www.butterartfair.com or follow on social @butterartfair.
Media inquiries, including interview requests, advance tours, and photography:
Keri Kirschner, [email protected], (646) 717-2848
For BUTTER video footage, visit: https://vimeo.com/user/38369570/folder/15519165
