Terry K. Wilson has had strong ties to Indianapolis’ creative scene for more than 50 years, both as a working artist and art educator.
Born and raised in Indianapolis, Wilson proudly boasts a long lineage of artists, including his father, who was a public school art teacher for 38 years. Wilson started drawing and painting at the age of two and received his first commission from an art collector in New York by age three. Since then, he has exhibited throughout the U.S., won awards, sold to collectors, and hopes to continue inspiring the next generation of artists.
“All my life I wanted to be an artist,” Wilson said. “He (my father) knew I was going to be an artist when I did my first drawing. It was of my whole family, and (the) heights were right; they had digits on their hands. So, he said right there, ‘Oh, he’s gonna be an artist.’”
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However, it wasn’t until he took a commercial art class at North Central High School that Wilson said he began to think of art as a serious career path. After he graduated from J. Everett Light Career Center, Wilson attended John Herron Art School before transferring to the Art Institute of Atlanta.
Wilson is known for blending airbrush and acrylic within his work, taking a mixed media approach to vibrant scenes depicting Black history, culture and prominent figures as well as sports, travel and social issues. His work also ranges from murals to illustration, advertising art, interior design and landscape gardening.
Although he lives and works in Indianapolis, Wilson’s work has been featured in exhibitions and juried art shows across the country — including October Gallery.“Jesus Wept,” one of Wilson’s most well-known portraits, hangs in the U.S. Embassy, and “Forward We March” was previously on display at the White House, according to his website.
However, Wilson said BUTTER is “one of the top-notch exhibitions” he’s ever participated in, due to the way the exhibiting artists are treated and respected. The Indianapolis-based fine art fair created by GANGGANG — which celebrated its fifth anniversary this year — allows artists to directly engage with potential buyers and collectors as well as simply talk with guests about the subject matter and quality of work Black artists have to offer, Wilson said.
“I think it’s phenomenal that people are coming to Indianapolis, because the art scene here was not too good for many years, and just recently it’s really booming,” Wilson said. “I’ve done shows all over, but I’m not used to one building (where) almost everybody has (sold). So that’s wonderful, especially for Indianapolis, because a lot of the cities are so far ahead of Indianapolis, but it seems like we’re catching up with them now.”
As a first-time exhibiting artist in BUTTER 5, Wilson had two mixed-media portraits on display: “Fast Lane, 1998” and “Black Wall Street, 2025.”
“Fast Lane,” also titled “Vegas,” is based on a trip Wilson took with his father and cousin to Las Vegas. The piece features recognizable elements, such as slot machines and palm trees, based on five different photos he took during the trip to emulate the look and feel of the city, Wilson said.
However, “Black Wall Street” is a vibrant depiction of a prominent moment in Black history — something Wilson is passionate about not only including within his body of work, but passing down to the next generation of Black artists.
“I was not taught Black history in school, so I just learned, actually, about Black Wall Street probably five or six years ago,” Wilson said. “I paint a lot of history, so I wanted to put that in my selection.”
As a teaching artist and mentor, Wilson has taught classes at the Indiana State Museum, Indianapolis Public Library and through the Witherspoon Presbyterian Church Performing Arts Program. Mentorships and exhibitions like BUTTER pose a great opportunity for artists alike to build a community where they can look out for one another, Wilson said.
“I mentor young artists all the time,” Wilson said. “I’m not stingy with my information on how I got to this point. … I like sharing it, because you’re only going to get what the Lord wants you to have, right?”
For more information about Terry K. Wilson or his art, work or to view his art, visit amenarts.shop.
Contact Arts & Culture Reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on X @chloe_mcgowanxx.
Chloe McGowan is the Arts & Culture Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. Originally from Columbus, OH, Chloe has a bachelor's in journalism from The Ohio State University. She is a former IndyStar Pulliam Fellow, and has previously worked for Indy Maven, The Lantern, and CityScene Media Group. In her free time, Chloe enjoys live theatre, reading, baking and keeping her plants alive.
