BUTTER Fine Art Fair powered by AES Indiana returns August 28–31 for its fifth iteration, celebrating the work of established, independent, and emerging Black artists from Indiana and across the country as part of a new model for care and economic justice in the arts. 

Schedule:

Friday August 29, 2025

I Made Rock 'N' Roll Outdoor Stage – 10th Street

5:00–6:00pm — Mr Kinetik & Rusty Redenbacher

8:00–9:00pm — Midwest Leak: That Naptown Sound ft. La’Deana, The Brothers Footman & DJ Reddy Rock

9:00–10:00pm — DJ QwessCoast

6:30pm — Dance Pop-Up

7:00pm — Clint Breeze

10th Street DJs

12:00–12:45pm — MetroGnome

12:45–1:30pm — Chyna

1:30–2:15pm — Stylistic

2:15–3:00pm — Brotha2DaKnight

3:00–3:45pm — JohnEBea

3:45–4:30pm — Little Town

4:30–6:00pm — 5laphouse

7:00–8:00pm — Slick Vic

Exhibition Hall DJs

11:00–12:00pm — (Quiet Hour)

12:00–1:00pm — Stylistic

1:00–2:00pm — Cleopatrah

2:00–3:00pm — Draft Pick

3:00–4:00pm — Ferris

4:00–5:00pm — Chromatic

5:00–6:00pm — Solo

6:00–7:00pm — Boogie Bang

7:00–8:00pm — Smart the DJ

8:00–9:00pm — Shawndale Sharone

9:00–10:00pm — Cooley Rock

Conversation Stage Presented by Vote.org

Hosted by Justin Bland with Stage Manager Rita Green

11:00 – 11:10am   IBTC Performance: The Story of BUTTER

11:10am – 12:00pm Gallery Quiet Time

12:30 – 1:00pm Artist Q&A With Exhibiting Artist Phresh Laundry

Moderated by Justin Bland

1:30 – 2:00pm   The Evolution of Black Renaissance;  Talk with A’Lelia Bundles

Moderated by Kevin West

2:30 – 3:00pm   For The Record: Artists as Archivists, Advocates, and Architects of Memory; Talk with Kaima Marie

Moderated by Tajay Byrd

3:00 – 3:30pm Artist Q&A With Exhibiting Artist Jeary Payne

Moderated by Ess McKee

4:00 – 4:30pm A Talk with Scott Terry, Owner of Mahogany Gallery

Moderated by Justin Bland

4:30 – 5:00pm Culture, Canvas, and Community: The Art of Uplifting the Unseen; Talk with Ashley Nora & Blu Murphy

Moderated by Courtney Johnson

5:30 – 6:00pm Remembrance; Talk with Austin Uzor & Blake Lenoir

Moderated by Justin Bland

7:30 – 8:00pm Amplified & Accessible: A Talk with Art | Melanated

Moderated by Justin Bland

Saturday August 30, 2025

I Made Rock 'N' Roll Outdoor Stage – 10th Street

2:00 – 3:00pm — Renee King

5:00 – 6:00pm — CHREECE Presents… Taylor Hall

8:00 – 9:00pm — Buddy Red

9:00 – 10:00pm — DJ SoundsByTodd

I Made Rock 'N' Roll Indoor Stage – Ju’s Juke Joint

6:00 – 6:45pm — Bashiri Asad

7:30 – 7:50pm — Dance Pop-up

8:00 – 8:45pm — CHREECE Presents… 4200 Kory

10th Street DJs

11:00 – 11:45am — Chayce

11:45am – 12:30pm — Wild Woman

12:30 – 1:15pm — BK

1:15 – 2:00pm — Tang

3:00 – 4:00pm — Ferris

4:00 – 5:00pm — Draft Pick

6:00 – 7:00pm — Solo

7:00 – 8:00pm — MaryJane

Exhibition Hall DJs

11:00am – 12:00pm — (Quiet Hour)

12:00 – 1:00pm — Brotha2DaKnight

1:00 – 2:00pm — The Blendian

2:00 – 3:00pm — Brooke Billions

3:00 – 4:00pm — Deuce Decka

4:00 – 5:00pm — No Filler

5:00 – 6:00pm — SoundsByCam

6:00 – 7:00pm — Freckles

7:00 – 8:00pm — Xavier

8:00 – 9:00pm — 290 West

9:00 – 10:00pm — Little Town

Conversation Stage Presented by Vote.org

Hosted by Mariah Ivey with Stage Manager Rita Green

10:00 – 11:00am   Pursuit of Passion; Artist Workshop with BUTTER Alumni Kevin James Wilson; Speaker introduced by Mariah Ivey

11:00 – 11:10am- IBTC Performance: The Story of BUTTER

11:10- 11:30am   Gallery Quiet Time

11:30am – 12:00pm- Self-Made & Self Taught;  Talk with Heath Holland

Moderated by Mariah Ivey

12:00pm – 12:30pm- Importance of a Village; Talk with Executive Director of Cradle Indy, Nicole Carey Moderated by Mariah Ivey 

1:00 – 1:30pm- Independently Navigating the Art World; Talk with Julian Jamaal Jones

Moderated by Kia Davis

2:00 – 2:30pm- No Slave, No Artist: Prince as Spiritual Warrior Against Exploitation; Talk with Dr. Ayo Yetunde

Moderated by Mariah Ivey 

2:30 – 3:00pm- Moving With the Spirit; Talk with Gary Gee, Johnson Simon, Israel Soloman

Moderated by Chris Wilborn 

4:00 – 4:30pm   BUTTER Basics: The Story of Founding BUTTER; Talk with Alan & Mali Bacon

Moderated by Rafael Sanchez 

4:30 – 5:00pm-  Native Material: Art, Archives, and the Politics of Place; Talk with Autumn Breon

Moderated by Samuel Levi Jones

5:30 – 6:00pm- Show and Tell: The Importance of Using Art to Share our History; Talk with Kisha Tandy Moderated by LaShawnda Crowe Storm

6:00 – 6:30pm- The BUTTER 5 Curator Panel; Conversation with BUTTER guest curators Trotter, Jacqueline, Janice

Moderated by Mariah Ivey

7:00 – 7:30pm- Art Impact; Talk with Wildstyle & Paul Bacardi Smith & Nicole Powell

Moderated by Chloe McGowan, Indianapolis Recorder

Sunday August 31, 2025

I Made Rock 'N' Roll Outdoor Stage – 10th Street

2:00 – 3:00pm — Church BUMP feat. GANGGANG House Band & Music Director Willie Robinson

3:00 – 4:00pm — Cool Beans

4:00 – 5:00pm — BUTTER Jam Session feat. Mariah Ivey & Friends

5:00 – 6:00pm — Mr Kinetik

I Made Rock 'N' Roll Indoor Stage – Ju’s Juke Joint

5:00pm — Rob Dixon

10th Street DJs

11:00 – 12:00pm — Iman Tucker

12:00 – 1:00pm — B.A.E.

1:00 – 2:00pm — Grapevine

Exhibition Hall DJs

11:00 – 12:00pm — (Quiet Hour)

12:00 – 1:00pm — Rani Rizz

1:00 – 2:00pm — MetroGnome

2:00 – 3:00pm — Fontaine

3:00 – 4:00pm — Shawndale Sharone

4:00 – 6:00pm — Pook

Conversation Stage Presented by Vote.org

Hosted by Justin Bland with Stage Manager Rita Green

11am – 12:00pm    Gallery Quiet Hour

12pm – 12:30pm- Walk It Like I Talk It: Art through Custom Shoe Design; Talk with Brittney Perry

Moderated by Justin Bland

2:00pm – 2:10pm- IBTC Performance: The Story of BUTTER

3:00 – 3:30pm- Promise Land is the Proving Ground; Talk with Norman Burns, Allison Cosby, and Israel Solomon

Moderated by Hyacinth Rucker

4:30 – 5:00pm- Let’s Talk About Collector Trends; Talk with Alan Mills

Moderated by Justin Bland

Date: August 29 -31, 2025

Time:

Friday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., plus MELT 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m

Location:

Various Venues in Downtown Indianapolis, IN

Click here for more information