BUTTER Fine Art Fair 2022

BUTTER is a fine art fair that centers and elevates Black artists.

The local and national artists who have been invited to participate were given the simple prompt of sharing the stories they want to tell at this time. For 2022, those stories are distinct, diverse, and share a confident resiliency. Throughout the works, be they exuberant portraits or inventive abstractions, we see reminders that community and mutual dependence contribute greatly to wellbeing. We see artists unafraid to take up space and safe within the context of BUTTER to be vulnerable— paying homage to significant people, revealing lessons learned, issuing cautions, and sharing exaltations of culture and joy.

After just one year, BUTTER has made a bright impact on Indianapolis and beyond. In many ways, including 100% of sale proceeds returned to artists, the fair is an experiment in elevating standards across the art industry and the economic viability of being an artist. Black artists have benefited from a long-overdue abundance of invitations to exhibit, participate, and weigh-in. However, the cultural infrastructure for artists working in Indianapolis, specifically, is lacking, and the roadmap to career advancement and financial sustainability has been unclear.

What might a more equitable, intentional, and authentic art ecosystem look like? With BUTTER, we are attempting to find out. This art fair is about care, authenticity, and economic justice. This art fair is about repositioning narratives about Indianapolis, the Midwest, and Black visual artists. BUTTER is about progress.

The goal of selling every artwork in this exhibition not only supports creatives financially, but cements our belief in their talent, future, and the future of the ecosystem. You are part of that equation as an art patron, a general supporter, and a builder in the full vibe and experience that is BUTTER!

We strive to cultivate a community where artists can make whatever they are inspired to make, and you can find work that speaks to you, whether this is your first art fair or you’ve been an avid collector for decades. Together, we want to forge a new, more equitable art ecosystem for Indianapolis that will sustain both its artists and its people, serving as a model for cities far and wide.

BUTTER 2022 CURATORIAL TEAM

ALAN BACON
SARAH URIST GREEN
BRAYDEE EULISS
MALINA SIMONE JEFFERS