Black People are Saucemakers

What I Witnessed at the ‘BUTTER’ Fine Art Fair

Oct 01, 2023

Butter is a critical element in many sauces. Since Black people are saucemakers, the ‘BUTTER’ Fine Art Fair is the missing element that binds together the perfect Indianapolis cultural renaissance roux.

I grew up in the city of Indianapolis between the ages of eight and eighteen. After attending college in Massachusetts and now living in New Orleans, Louisiana, I recognize that most people don’t know that Indianapolis has:

1) hella Black people or

2)a rich Black culture worth exploring.

During Labor Day weekend this year, I attended the ‘BUTTER’ 3 Fine Art Fair in Downtown Indianapolis and let me say, what I witnessed (and have always known the city to be capable of) turned that assumption on its head.

At this moment, everyone else is learning what I have known since I was child — that all along, Indianapolis has been a hidden gem with a distinct Black culture. One of creativity that is rich & that feels like home.

“We call it Naptown not because we’re asleep, but because the world is asleep on us.”
— Anthony Murdock II, Esq., Indianapolis Native & Founder, Circle City Storytellers (@amurdock_ii)

Artist care. Equity. Being Seen. Us. Blackness. Celebration. Cultural Renaissance.

These are all words and phrases that I heard repeatedly at the 2023 ‘BUTTER’ Fine Art Fair. In every conversation I had with artists and art workers, each of these themes had a steady thread. Each of these words describes an element of ‘BUTTER’ that made the art fair a prolific and innovative space.

‘BUTTER’ is a fine art fair centering black artists, Black art, and Black cultural production. The fair takes place in Indianapolis, IN and was launched in 2021 by black-led Indianapolis-based creative consultancy GANGGANG (@ganggangculture) led by creative collaborators and partners-in-life, Mali (@malinasimone) and Alan (@alanbacon7) Bacon.

Photo of Alan and Mali Bacon via GANGGANGculture.com

Developed in response to the demand for more spaces empowering Black artists in Indianapolis, ‘BUTTER’ met a need that was made abundantly clear during the summer of 2020. This year marks three years that ‘BUTTER’ has been in motion in Indianapolis and, if nothing else, ‘BUTTER’ 3 solidified the fair’s prolific nature — not just in the Indianapolis arts and culture scene, but in the national scene too. According to the ‘BUTTER’s instagram (@butterartfair), this year’s fair welcomed more than 11,000 arts patrons and youth while generating more than $285,000 in artwork sales.

‘BUTTER’ is just the piece that the art world has been missing. A three day affair with visual art, live musical performances, and artists talks, ‘BUTTER’ is changing the narrative about what the art world can look like as well as what kind of radical artist care is possible.

Artist Care & Equity

“Usually, commission is 50%”
- Kia Davis, Owner of K Kurated Creative Agency & Guest Curator for ‘BUTTER’ 3 (@kkuratedcreativeagency)

‘Glorious Day’, 2023 by India Cruse-Griffin (@india_crusegriffin)

In college, I was exposed to the world of fine art and never felt like I was welcome in the art space. It always felt like a gate-kept ‘cool kids club’ that required the right looks, words, and social graces. The truth, I have come to learn, is that the art world is a very different space than that of an artist’s world.

I am a person who sees and feels and thinks deeply about the world and what I have found is that, artists are too. They translate their interpretations of what they see in the medium of their choosing whether that be white canvas, metals, fabrics, sound, or a different element. I translate my own interpretation with words on the page. Recognizing these commonalities has felt affirming and rejuvenating, and has catalyzed my journey to live a more creative life.

And as I continue to explore my own identity as an artist, I am also learning that navigating the art world can be a taxing and discouraging experience for artists. Artists create because they can’t help it. Creating is as necessary as eating, drinking water, and resting. The art world, because it is set up to capitalize on this truth, can be a dark place. It can often squeeze the life out of artists and dispose of them as if they are not our divine guides.

‘BUTTER’ is becoming a source of light in the darkness.

Photo by Natalie James, 2023

The most profound element of the art fair is that 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the art are returned to the artists — a radical endeavor in the face of commonplace creative industry practices that often leave artists with the short end of the stick at just 50% commission. ‘BUTTER’ is a rare bird in a time when Black art, intellectual property, and culture are being consumed in ways that abuse Black creators — the saucemakers themselves.

‘BUTTER’ also reserves 50% of the spots in the art show for Indiana-based artists. The other 50% of spots are reserved for artists from other markets which allows for a melting pot of attendees to take part in the fair. Attendees ranged from the Indianapolis after church crowd to small children, political officials, college students, hip hop pioneers, local art & music scene luminaries, and more.

Being an art worker is much more than just being a ‘tastemaker’, you must be willing to serve artists for the sake of honoring their gifts and advocating for their well being because they are the natural progenitors of the culture.

Having returned to the city for the first time since moving to New Orleans on Juneteenth 2022, ‘BUTTER’ 3 was a full circle moment for me. I left Indianapolis to find a more nurturing environment for my creativity. Upon my return visit, it felt as if the fair was breathing life into the city and giving Indianapolis permission to be seen and to see itself in a beautiful and authentic light.

The Artists & The Art

“Literally, the sky is the limit and if I shoot for the moon, I’m gonna land among the stars. If I miss the moon, I’m literally gonna land among the stars…If me going to little shows around [Indianapolis] is the stars, then ‘BUTTER’ is the entire galaxy.”
— Miracle Townsel, Interdisciplinary Artist, Indianapolis Native, and ‘BUTTER’ 2023 Volunteer (@galaxyenigma_art)

The most beautiful element of the fair was the artwork. It felt good to take my time slowly engaging with pieces that tugged at my spirit.

Take for instance, the piece ‘Breathe’ 2021 by artist Justin A. Carney (@joule_zei), a Bloomington, IN based artist using autobiographical photography to translate themes of death and grief in family structures.

The year 2023, for me, has been a full fledged initiation into the shape of grief. There have been a range of emotions — many of which have required that I explore parts of myself that I never have before (more on this in next month’s blog). Carney’s piece made me say “mmmh!” and reminded me of the importance of releasing what is not mine to hold while also urging me to grasp what is. Black grief has its own silhouette.

As I wandered into the car museum of the iconic Stutz Building, I was immediately drawn to the piece Church, a 2023 work from New Orleans based artist Bianca Walker (@biancawalkerart). This piece made me audibly gasp. The bigness of its presence drew me in and asked me to sit with it.

Interpreted from a 20th century photo of Black subjects in an early version of the motor vehicle, Church is reminiscent of Walker’s own memories of convening for Sunday church as a child in Oakland, CA. The juxtaposition of this larger-than-life painting against the backdrop of the Stutz’s car museum in the Midwestern state most known for its relationship to car racing was undeniable. A clear conversation.

When asked about the decision to name their piece Church, Walker named that they sourced an early 20th century photo that reminded them of home, and home is what they wanted to bring to ‘BUTTER’. On day three of ‘BUTTER’, Walker also offered that, after experiencing the fair, they would consider making Indianapolis as a possible home. The ‘BUTTER’ effect, to be sure.

Now, this piece was absolutely the Belle of the ‘BUTTER’ ball. Indianapolis-based visual artist Ashley Nora’s (@ ashleynora_art) piece Glory, 2023 is a dreamy oil on canvas work that commands attention. A beautiful portrait of a dark-skinned Black femme dressed in a flowing gown, the portrait's subject looks knowingly at her devotee. She drew in the attention of everyone in the space.

A camera could never capture this piece in all its grandeur. You must see it in person.

All artists are on the path of love.
- Karen Pope, ‘BUTTER’ artist

‘BUTTER’ was prolific not only because of the galleries and live performances, but also because of the series of Q & A sessions with artists and art workers. These sessions allowed for those in the art world to share about their experiences with both the light and the dark elements of the art game.

During the first night of ‘BUTTER’, I attended a panel discussion entitled Food and the Visual Arts with Bronx Pastry God, Jon Gray (@ghettogray), Alan Bacon, and Mike G (@wheresmikeg). During this conversation, all three saucemakers detailed how they deliberately built careers in the creative industry be it through food, music, art, or a myriad of things.

When asked about how the combination of food, music, and storytelling come together in his work, Jon Gray named that memory is the driving force behind that combination. According to Gray, creativity is essentially a spiritual practice and all of these tools we use — food, music, storytelling, etc. — help us to remember ourselves while connecting with and honoring our ancestors.

Yes. Just, yes.

‘Adura’ by Móyòsóré Martins ( @moyosoremartins1910)

If nothing else, Indianapolis Black folks are about family and God. Growing up there as a child, it was beautiful to witness the way church choirs could ‘set the atmosphere’ — moving me to tears and facilitating my connection to God’s presence. Now, ‘BUTTER’s success is an affirmation that God moves a multitude of ways in and through us; that the work is not only done in the pulpit or the choir stand, but also on the stage and in the art studio.

When I stepped foot into the gallery space on Sunday — the final day of BUTTER — the synergy in the room felt like an honest depiction of the city. The after church crowd mixed with the artsy Black folks felt like a reminder that we all work in connection with one another. Sunday felt good.

‘BUTTER’ has broken all of us open in the best way. It has dignified and given voice to artists in Indianapolis and across the nation in a way that honors their spirit. It has shown us that radical care and love in the art industry space is possible. I am so grateful to have been a witness because it has inspired me to give my inner creator what she needs.

What’s Next for ‘BUTTER’?

BUTTER was a beautiful time, and the fair also has an opportunity to increase the ways in which they center Black queer folks, women, and femmes in every area of the experience. In what felt like a more Black male-centered space, I anticipate the evolution, expansion, and infusion of more Black queer and femme modalities into the lifeblood of ‘BUTTER’. The phenomenon of ‘BUTTER’ is a radical offering and I look forward to its continued journey towards the arc of equity.

What’s next for ‘BUTTER’ ? Growth. That is what Deonna Craig, Visual Artist, 18 Art Collective member, and Executive Director of ‘BUTTER’ named during our conversation. Deonna’s hope is that ‘BUTTER’ will create a ripple effect in cities across the nation, empowering them to provide platforms and opportunities for Black artists that prioritize artist care and equity.

During the Curating ‘BUTTER’ discussion hosted during the final day of the fair with Braydee Euliss, Director of Exhibitions for ‘BUTTER’ and Alyse Tucker Bounds, Associate Curator for ‘BUTTER’, Alyse offered that ‘BUTTER’ is combating white supremacy’. This, I do believe to be true. With its emphasis on democratizing access to art while prioritizing artist care, ‘BUTTER’ is taking a subversive approach to an art industry that is still, in large part, dominated by wealthy white gatekeepers who are most concerned with preserving their ‘core white art audience’.

*queue furious giggles*

The Power of Being Seen

“God has something for all of us to do”
- Ms. Margaret Reynolds, ‘BUTTER’ attendee & grandmother of featured artist Kyng Rhodes (@Kyngrhodes)

Growing up in Indianapolis, I recognized just how much the insularity embedded in the political structure of the state seeped into the city and often led to a self-effacing posture from some of its greatest Black talent. I saw this up close when, as an unapologetically smart little Black girl, I often triggered feelings in others (elders and peers) that led them to try to humble me to the point of dimming my light. I wasn’t alone in this experience. The spirit of self-deprecation is present in Indianapolis and it is insidious, which is why experiencing the deliberate celebration of Black genius at ‘BUTTER’ was so profound.

‘BUTTER’ affirmed that it’s okay to be the shit and that we should stand on that. Indianapolis Black folks have sauce and ‘BUTTER’ has been a balm—an opportunity — not just for Black artists in Indiana to be seen — but also for them to see themselves as worthy and deserving of recognition and payment for their work.

‘BUTTER’ has also been an inspiration to the emerging artists who don’t often feel that the spirit of Indianapolis is supportive of their creative practice. When I asked Miracle Townsel what ‘BUTTER’ meant for her own creative practice, she said, “It means that I need to take my art more seriously…Everything I want is very possible if I ask for it.”

That said, a fair like ‘BUTTER’ happening in a place like Indianapolis is a big deal. Getting an artist SEEN is critical to their ability to survive and the success of their career trajectory. Black people are saucemakers and now we know the kind of sauce that Black Indianapolis has.

It’s buttery, wet, and dripping.

I know for sure that I will be returning to Indianapolis next Labor Day weekend to attend the fair again.

I’ll meet you there. Bring your friends & buy art.