Artists flock to Butter, a prospering Black-owned art fair, reaping all profit gains themselves.
Butter Art Fair, a unique art fair dedicated to showcasing works by Black artists and operating on a no-commission model, has made its debut in Los Angeles. The fair, which was established in Indianapolis in 2020 in response to the Black Lives Matter movement, has now expanded to the City of Angels, thanks to its commitment to cultural reparations and empowerment of Black artists.
Butter Los Angeles, presented in collaboration with Art Loud LA and Valence Studios, is open to the public at Context Projects, located at 4435 1/2 W. Slauson Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90043, until August 17, 2025. The fair features 14 pieces from eight artists, with half hailing from Los Angeles and the other half from Indianapolis.
The founders of Butter Art Fair, Mali and Alan Bacon, have a rich background in both the non-profit and for-profit sectors and the art world. They felt a sense of urgency in 2020, inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, to create a fair that protects artists' financial and creative interests, while centering dignity and care in the art experience.
In its first year, Butter sold around $65,000 worth of art and attracted around 3400 attendees. After four years, the fair is anticipating 12,000 individuals per year and has sold over $900,000 worth of art. Revenue also comes from the shop and the bar, as well as sponsorships. A third of the revenue comes from ticket sales.
Butter reserves half of the exhibition space for artists based in the host city and brings in artists from other markets. Nikita Moore, the curator for Butter in Los Angeles, is from LA and helped to broker and introduce the markets to each other. Jack Forbes, a curator for Butter in Indianapolis, is based in LA and Malibu.
The no-commission model at Butter is significant, not just as a form of cultural reparations, but also as a means of empowering Black artists. Butter is about representation, allowing a microphone to the voice of the artist, particularly important for Black artists showing at the fair. The fair is a platform that centres the care and economic viability of African diasporic artists.
Butter Art Fair in Los Angeles is more than just an art fair; it's a community event, a cultural celebration, and a testament to the power of art to bring people together and uplift voices that have been historically marginalized. If you're in Los Angeles, be sure to visit Butter Art Fair at Context Projects before it closes on August 17.
At Butter Los Angeles, the art fair goes beyond just being a showcase of visual arts, it serves as a community event and a cultural celebration, particularly for African diasporic artists. This home-and-garden event, taking place at Context Projects, features a blend of home-and-garden aesthetics, offering not only art pieces but also a shop and a bar, creating a unique lifestyle experience.
