Like BUTTER: Second-Annual All-Black Art Fair is Smooth and Delicious

Soft afternoon light filters in through dozens of garage door style windows, illuminating the clean white walls and the colorful features of multi-faceted artwork exhibited on them. An energetic bassline and plush vocals thump and drift out of the DJ booth housed against the far wall. Friendly servers weave through the clusters of people, offering sleek, silver trays of bite-sized snacks while the scents of soft bread, butter, sauces and herbs float around the heads of attendees and up into the small globe lights and spotlights that descend from the rafters. The dingy concrete floor supplies the perfect contrast to the crisp walls scattered perfectly erratically throughout the room, each wall splashed with vibrant hues and pigments, tangible textures and dozens of concepts, scenes and emotions. The spacious hall glows in the velvety sunshine, pops with personal and exuberant styles, and buzzes with vitality.

This is BUTTER. 

BUTTER is an annual all-Black art fair hosted by Indianapolis-based creative agency GangGang, which seeks to create an equitable economy for creative minds and culture-steeped doers.

Still in its infancy with 2022 being its second year, BUTTER is a chance for “guests to see and experience art in new ways, opening up a platform to address and advocate for the value and worth of Black artists. [It] represents reparations in the arts, as well as care, authenticity and economic justice.”

In 2021, BUTTER was prepared for roughly 1,000 attendees and garnered more than 3,400 and sold 42 pieces of artwork. In comparison, this year welcomed more than 8,000 guests over the course of the four-day event, which included local artists, media, staffers and local school tours. 109 pieces were sold throughout the event, and buyers continued to reach out post-fair.  Artwork was purchased by not only individual collectors, but also local public businesses including the Central Indiana Community Foundation, Eskenazi Health, The Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, and The Richmond Art Museum.

“BUTTER is an experiment to test new models toward equity in the arts industry, but last year, no one knew what this was. And now, it’s become something that feels important,” said GangGang co-founder Mali Jeffers, in an interview with Indy Maven. “It feels like the creative community is coming together to make this homegrown micro convention for Indianapolis, and all of this is to lift up the artists and give them the context that their artwork deserves.”

If you missed BUTTER this year, don’t fret. They’ve already begun planning next year’s art fair, and keep an eye out for GangGang on Facebook and Instagram for updates on great events in the meantime! Until then, check out our slideshow from this year’s event:

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Emily Cunningham is a freelance magazine writer with a passion for wildlife conservation, civil and societal issues, and artistic pursuits including dance, creative writing, and handmade art.