INDIANAPOLIS (September 7, 2023) – Organized by creative advocacy firm GANGGANG, the BUTTER Fine Art Fair presents the work of 49 artists, four galleries, and six curators as an act of discovery and an invitation to care about the value and worth of Black artists. This year’s fair, taking place August 31–September 3, brought together the works and perspectives of emerging and established artists from ten cities in Indiana; Detroit, Chicago, New Orleans, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles; and the countries of Ghana and Nigeria, as a commitment to growing the arts ecosystem in the Midwest.
BUTTER 2023 ARTWORK SALES + ACQUISITIONS
76 artworks sold, totaling $285,392
$3,605 average sales price per artwork
Four major institutions acquired BUTTER artwork for their permanent collections:
- The Indiana State Museum acquired artwork from BUTTER for the first time this year, redLINES by LaShawnda Crowe Storm.
- The Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields will add a second work by April Bey, having acquired Pineapple Venus, Sex on the Beach Peach and Goldenrod as well as Gary Gee’s Oops Upside Your Head!.
- Indiana University’s Indiana Memorial Union acquired artwork from BUTTER for the first time, visiting with students who help make selections based on the stories they hope future students will value engaging with. The three works joining their collection are Tasha Beckwith’s Empowered Tresses, Kyng Rhodes’s Reasons, and India Cruse-Griffin’s, Glorious Day.
- Central Indiana Community Foundation will add two paintings, India Cruse-Griffin’s The Barbershop and Matthew Cooper’s Black Thought.
BUTTER 2023 ATTENDANCE
11,000+ attendees (includes children and student tours)
682 people in attendance at Preview Night
200+ artists, performers, DJs and staff
BUTTER 2023 ADDITIONAL SALES
$60,500 total BUTTER Shop sales, from 2,200 transactions
15 “Walk & Talk” history tours by Sampson Levingston (425 adults), plus 6 student Education Day tours (403 students). People from as far away as Maryland, Texas, Florida, Arizona, New Jersey, New York, California, Mexico City, Johannesburg, Montevideo, Toronto, and Cork, Ireland.
Introducing a contemporary approach to equity and a new model for reparations in the arts, BUTTER invites guests to see and experience art in safe spaces, offering up a platform to address and advocate for the value and worth of Black artists.
“Artists are the heroes of society. It’s a dream to be able to narrate that through something so impactful and immersive like BUTTER. Happenings like this test new models of power in the arts industry,” said Malina Bacon, founder of BUTTER and GANGGANG. “It’s been a joy to watch it all unfold.”
Made possible by title sponsor AES Indiana and presenting sponsors Newfields and JPMorgan Chase, BUTTER took place at The Stutz factory building, serving up four days of live music and top DJs as well as artist workshops, historic neighborhood walking tours, and a Sunday Testimony service. For a recap of the daily list of talks, live performances, and special appearances, visit butterartfair.com or follow @butterartfair on social media.
ABOUT GANGGANG:
GANGGANG centers beauty, culture and equity in cities by activating the creative economy.
For more information, visit www.ganggangculture.com or follow the team on social media @ganggangculture.
REFERENCE MATERIALS:
BUTTER Collectors Page, which includes artwork pricing and availability.
BUTTER Media Kit, which includes new press materials and photography assets.
BUTTER Artists Page, which includes bios and social media channels.
COMPARATIVE DATA:
BUTTER 2022 ARTWORK SALES + ACQUISITIONS
109 artworks sold during the four-day fine art fair, totaling $250,005
83 pieces purchased from Indiana-based artists, totaling $164,755
26 pieces purchased from national artists, totaling $85,250
Four major institutions acquired BUTTER artwork for their permanent collections
BUTTER 2022 ATTENDANCE
8,000+ attendees (includes children)
1,900 student tour / under 18 tickets
528 people in attendance at Preview Night
100+ artists, performers, and staff
BUTTER 2022 ADDITIONAL SALES
$24,037 total BUTTER Shop sales
$24,455 total BUTTER Bar sales
13 “Walk & Talk” history tours by Sampson Levingston (350 adults, 175 students)
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Media inquiries, including interview requests and buyer information:
Keri Kirschner, [email protected], (646) 717.2848
