Celebrating six years of fine art in Indianapolis, BUTTER Fine Art Fair, powered by AES Indiana and presented by SomeraRoad will return Labor Day Weekend (Sept. 3-6) for the exhibit’s sixth iteration, aiming to maintain its confidence and welcoming nature in a professional art experience. Heightening attention on the education experience, the fair will once again transform space into a cultural vision that centers more than 50 African diasporic artists.
BUTTER is a Black-led fine art fair incubated by GANGGANG that centers the care and economic power of artists. Serving as a new model for youth access and economic justice, the no-commission fine art fair gives 100% of the proceeds from art sales to the exhibiting artists, who pay no fee to participate.
“There’s a lot of curiosity and anticipation around BUTTER 2026 Labor Day Weekend. And we can’t wait to deliver,” said Alan Bacon, Co-Founder of GANGGANG and BUTTER. “Year six marks a major milestone and tells of Indy’s commitment to talent retention, economic development, and innovation in the arts. This year we work to eclipse $2 million in total sales for artists, and we hope to inspire thousands of people each day.”
BUTTER welcomes guest curators
BUTTER welcomes two notable Guest Curators this year, who will expand the fair’s national and international artist roster:
- Bianca Marks is a Chicago-based arts and culture impresario and the founder and principal of Marks on Canvas, a studio and artist management practice that provides strategic, administrative and relational support for artists and creative projects. Working closely with artists, institutions and cultural partners, Bianca helps build the infrastructure, relationships and long-term systems that allow ambitious creative work to move from vision to public life. Often described as “the engine that makes art move in Chicago,” Bianca brings a steady, artist-centered approach to aligning creative vision with the resources, logistics and care needed to support artistic work.
- Kia Davis, a Pittsburgh-based cultural strategist, returns to BUTTER as a curator after participating in BUTTER 2024. Davis is recognized for connecting emerging and established artists across the intersections of contemporary art, fashion and design. Through her agency, KKURATED, she advises collectors, supports artist development and curates exhibitions and partnerships that expand conversations around contemporary culture.
“BUTTER creates the kind of visibility that can truly move an artist’s practice forward, one grounded in care, access, and real opportunity,” said Bianca Marks, BUTTER Guest Curator. “I’m excited by the range of practices coming together through this fair, with artists working across material, form, and image, from wood and metal to fabric, furniture, abstraction, and photography. I’m honored to help shape a fair that invites collectors, institutions, and communities into deeper conversation with the work.”
“BUTTER continues to prove what’s possible when artists are centered with intention, access and real economic opportunity,” said Kia Davis, BUTTER Guest Curator. “This year’s roster reflects a dynamic range of voices shaping contemporary culture right now — artists whose practices move fluidly across identity, storytelling, design, materiality and innovation. It’s exciting to help bring together work that feels both culturally grounded and globally relevant while contributing to a platform that continues to expand how people experience and collect contemporary art.”
Since its inception in 2021, BUTTER has welcomed 65,000+ attendees, including more than 15,000 young people as part of BUTTER’s free admission for 18 and under policy. In six years, BUTTER has made an undeniable impact on the art world and the Indianapolis and Inglewood communities, welcoming 26 curators and 281 contemporary artists who have sold more than $1,500,000 worth of artwork, including 28 BUTTER artwork acquisitions by 16 major institutions for permanent collections.
The fair will take place this year in a new and expanded indoor and outdoor footprint at the historic Stutz factory building in downtown Indianapolis, plus plenty of surprise activities to keep attendees engaged and inspired.
BUTTER Fine Art Fair schedule
Thursday, Sept. 3
- First Look / Private Tours: 5-6 p.m.
- Preview Night: 6-8 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 4
- Education Day: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Private Tours: noon to 3 p.m.
- Opening Night: 3-10 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 5
- Public Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- MELT: 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Sunday, Sept. 6
- Public Hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
An expanded BUTTER education day
Registered K-8, high school, and college groups are encouraged to explore the exhibition on Friday, Sept. 4, before the show opens to the public as part of BUTTER Education Day sponsored by our Arts Education partners. This magical tour offers students a sneak peek behind-the-scenes of BUTTER, including remarks from BUTTER leaders, curators, and neighborhood historians. Register your group here for an Education Day visit. Students 18 and under are welcome to attend BUTTER on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at no cost, thanks to Youth Access Partner Eli Lilly and Company.
Tickets are now on sale at www.butterartfair.com. General Admission Daily tickets are $40 per person, which includes one-day access. VIP Weekend tickets are $75 and include three-day unlimited access on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Preview Night tickets are $150 for Thursday night, which includes return access throughout the weekend.
BUTTER is made possible because of support from generous organizations and individuals like A Couple Cooks, AES Indiana, Aqua Systems, Ash & Elm Cider Co., Barnes & Thornburg, Bohall Design & Fabrication, Business Furniture Co., By Design, C2 Media, Cunningham Restaurant Group, Downtown Indy Alliance, Elements Financial, Eli Lilly and Company, Enterprise Mobility, Everwise, Hi and Mighty, IMS / Penske Entertainment, Indiana Sports Corp, IndyGo, IU Health, JO Financial Management, Johnson Jensen Williams, Lumina Foundation, Mays Chemical, Nomad Coworking Studio, OUTFRONT, Printing Partners, Purdue University in Indianapolis, Riley Children’s Foundation, SIMPLICITY Juice, SomeraRoad, The Alexander, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, Visit Indy, Wormser Casey and Yelp Indy.
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