Now in its fourth year, Butter has become both a staple fine art fair in Indianapolis and a mainstay event of Labor Day weekend. Works by 60 artists will be the centerpiece of a multiday event that incorporates live music, dance performances, poetry, DJ sets, custom merchandise, food trucks and discussions.
Alan Bacon and Malina Simone Bacon, the co-founders of creative advocacy agency Ganggang, launched Butter in 2021 to build equity and cultural reparations for Black artists into a high-profile event that feeds Indianapolis’ creative economy. The fair aims to sell all of the art it shows and return all proceeds to artists.
Butter has grown with each iteration, and this year is no different. Former professional baseball player Micah Johnson and author and activist Kimberly Drew will be among the artists and curators giving talks in the Conversation Cove in the pink main exhibition hall. The new outdoor Kids’ Zone, a partnership between the fair and The Children’s Museum, will have interactive activities.
And the Stutz Car Museum will show a temporary popup exhibit of autos by Hoosier makers and an IndyCar from Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Butter runs Thursday through Sunday in and around the Stutz at 1060 N. Capitol Ave. Here’s the schedule and what to know.
Artists and curators
This year’s Butter curators are Alan Bacon, Malina Simone Bacon; Indianapolis artist Deonna Craig; Colette Pierce Burnette, former Newfields CEO and president and member of Martin University’s Board of Trustees; Nakeyta Moore, performance artist and creative director of ARTLOUDLA; and visual artist manager Kendall Hurns.
The roster of international, national and local artists includes Autumn Breon, Barry Yusufu, Amiah Mims, Faith Blackwell, Gary Gee, Justin A. Carney and Tasha Beckwith.
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Butter schedule
6 p.m.-8 p.m. Thursday: Preview night
11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday: Performances on the stage, hosted by Rusty Redenbacher; Walk and Talk tours by Sampson Levingston; and art talks are among the activities.
9 p.m.-2 a.m. Saturday: Melt dance party at the Vogue, 6259 N. College Ave.
Find the full schedule at butterartfair.com.
How to buy tickets to Butter
Tickets start at $40 and can be purchased through butterartfair.com.
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Contact IndyStar reporter Domenica Bongiovanni at 317-444-7339 or d.bongiovanni@indystar.com. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter: @domenicareports.
