Your art is fine, but this is BUTTER 2

Upending the predictable formulas of the fine arts world, Indianapolis’s BUTTER 2 art fair is a multisensory, deeply cultural reimagined agora for Black visual artists from around the country. Over 40 artists (from photography to painting to pottery to sculpture) will gather in the decommissioned Stutz Factory building - essentially turning the former chocolate warehouse into a modern Black art powerhouse.

While innovation shapes much of BUTTER2’s art, the true revolutionary nature of the event is in the economics. Artists displaying their work for sale at BUTTER 2 are not charged a fee for their space, nor are any commissions from sales being collected. This model is built on equitability, the lack of which often leads to the exclusion of Black artists from other traditional venues.

Building on these principles, educational opportunities for artists will be made available through workshops that help creatives understand the business landscape of the industry and teach helpful skills for career growth. Organizers boast that the content of these workshops is made available online so even those unable to attend have access to the resources. Beyond the content of the workshops, organizers Keri Kirschner and Alan Bacon encourage emerging creatives to learn from the strategies that featured artists have employed to get their work out there.

These facilitated learning experiences hardly mean the event will be all work and no play. In fact, there will be at least five musical performances and over 30 DJs spinning sets throughout the long weekend, creating an immersive experience that is truly an homage to the culture. Even the event’s name, BUTTER, hearkens to the vernacular used in Black communities during the 90s, when a nothing-but-net basket would be met with a chorus of the refrain, “butter”, by those with a true appreciation for the smooth Bacon explained. The thematic overlay extends into the vision for the Saturday night MELT dance party, a multi-sensory affair that includes visual activations to accompany the music, along with a few more sensual secrets in store.

The value placed on cultural exploration extends beyond the Stutz Factory, and includes walking tours highlighting the creative legacy of Black Indianapolitans. The tour will encompass Black homes, businesses, churches, and schools, while also passing by the iconic 3D Keepers of Culture mural. Tours will be run two times a day on Saturday and Sunday and are 45 minutes in length. The legacy of Black art at BUTTER 2 is further honored by the prominent display of a painting by the late Sam Gilliam, who died just this past June. Gilliam was a pioneer in the fields of color and abstraction, offering innovations to the field of artistic expression rivaling household names like Rothko and Pollock.