Tyrese Haliburton joins the ranks of Indianapolis’ Keepers of Culture as GANGGANG unveils its newest mural ahead of BUTTER 5.
The Haliburton mural, which is the third installation in the Keepers of the Culture series, was created by 24-year-old Hoosier artist William Minion and placed on the outside wall of XG Groom Room barbershop, owned by Tylor Marzullo. The mural was unveiled on Aug. 26 ahead of the installation of BUTTER: A Fine Art Fair, which takes place Aug. 28-31 at the Stutz.
“Culture keepers make sure that heritage lives on, that positive practices are maintained, and that the next generation knows who they are and where they come from,” said Deonna Craig, director of BUTTER. “As we unveil this new chapter, we are reminded that art is never just about what we see on the wall. It’s about impact. It preserves culture, uplifts memories and pushes us forward. This work tells the story of Indianapolis through the hands of visual artists, inspiring not only us here today, but generations to come.”
READ MORE: Ruby Bridges, Jeanne White-Ginder talk hope, impact on Power of Children panel
Although GANGGANG commissioned this piece for BUTTER 5, Minion said he had been looking to do a Haliburton during the NBA Finals, and XG Groom Room was interested in hosting it. Despite not winning the finals, Minion said they decided to follow through with the project out of “perseverance.”
“Even though we didn’t win, it’s like, he still did a lot for the city,” Minion said. “We still appreciate it because we don’t want to take any of that for granted. It was a lot of adversity that our team played through and … What it means for me is honestly just like perseverance, but also just an appreciation for what he’s done for the city.”
Keepers of the Culture is about highlighting and paying homage to the creatives and entrepreneurs helping shape Indianapolis and refine the city’s culture, Minion said. Ashley Nora created the original mural at Stutz Business Center for the inaugural BUTTER in September 2021 in collaboration with the Indianapolis Recorder. Kevin West was selected to create the second Keepers of Culture mural at The AMP at 16 Tech in 2023, also supported by the Indianapolis Recorder.
Having the metaphorical torch passed onto him as not only one of the Keepers of the Culture muralists, but also the youngest exhibiting artists in BUTTER is “a little overwhelming, a little nerve-racking but really exciting,” Minion said. He looks up to and respects many artists around him, including West, whom he reached out to for inspiration.
The mural isn’t the only milestone being celebrated this year, according to Malina Bacon, co-founder of BUTTER. As GANGGANG gets ready to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the art fair and the third installment of their Keepers of the Cultural murals, institutions supporting the arts across the city are also celebrating anniversaries — including the Indianapolis Recorder and the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.
“We’re celebrating one mural and the fifth anniversary, but we heard so many story lines about the connectivity and the ecosystem in the arts sector that has grown,” Bacon said. “The fact that William said, ‘I reached out to Kevin, who’s a BUTTER artist, and I thought maybe he’ll just have coffee with me,’ That’s a proof point of, I think, kind of a shared vision for what we all want to celebrate. … we want to give artists more tools and more spaces, and so being able to do that for five years is incredible.”
For information about Keepers of Culture or BUTTER: A Fine Art Fair, visit ganggangculture.com.
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.
