NBA All-Star Weekend will bring a special Butter art fair, food and music to downtown Indy

Domenica Bongiovanni, Indianapolis Star
Updated ·6 min read

The NBA All-Star Game will be held next month at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. But just outside, downtown Indianapolis will be transformed into a larger arts and entertainment court of its own.

This one will have basketballs, sure, but instead of bouncing, they will glow and display stories of the myriad Hoosier connections to the sport. Along the Washington Street corridor, improv artists and dancers will show off their skillful moves on stage and via video artwork. Street art and murals will capture the rhythm of the game. Even the buzzer will take on new looming life as part of a projection on Monument Circle.

"We really wanted to do something different than all of the other cities that we'd watched over the years — something certainly different than what we did in 1985 (the last time Indianapolis hosted the game)," said Rick Fuson, CEO of Pacers Sports and Entertainment, during a Wednesday press conference at the Indianapolis Artsgarden.

More: With more announcements to come, here's what — and who — we might see NBA All-Star Weekend

All of this, plus an expansion of the fine art fair "Butter," will officially kick off Feb. 15 and run throughout the All-Star Game weekend, Feb. 16-18. Built into the experiences is the mission to increase equity and investment in the city's creative economy that will remain after the festivities end, according to a news release from the planning partners.

The NBA All-Star Host Committee — with the Indy Arts Council, Ganggang and Indiana Humanities — made the announcements Wednesday. Helping to fuel the activity is a $1.5 million grant from the Lilly Endowment, the news release stated.

Here are some of the major cultural spots to visit the weekend of the NBA All-Star Game. Find full details at pacers.com/allstar.

The Tip Off

Formally launching NBA All-Star 2024 will be an evening opening ceremony Feb. 15 at the Bicentennial Unity Plaza, just outside Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Expect music and appearances by officials and what All-Star committee partners called notable personalities. More details are forthcoming.

Cultural Corridor

This will include pop-up businesses along Washington Street. With leaders Mali Simone Bacon and Alan Bacon, Ganggang co-founders, the host committee planned the space.

"In Indy, historically, we've had Indiana Avenue, and we're bringing the spirit of the avenue to Indy's Home Court, to our cultural corridor — that spirit of beauty, equity and culture, that richness that is Black culture," Alan Bacon said Wednesday.

The corridor from Meridian to Illinois will include:

  • Plaid & Pearls Coffee (former location of Pearings, near the intersection of Washington and Meridian streets)

  • The Suite, with the Henderson Bar, International Marketplace Food Hall offerings, music curated by Chreece Presents: Nap City The Basement, comedy by Made Man Improv and retail curated by Cargo Streetwear Boutique (in the former location of Rock Bottom)

Who's hosting the NBA All-Star Game? Here's what's different about this season's game

'Butter' expansion

For the first time, the popular annual Black fine art fair by cultural development firm Ganggang is arriving early — outside its usual home of Labor Day weekend — for All-Star Game fans. On display will be sculptures, photography and more by more than 30 artists that capture the meeting of sports and culture. The pop-up also will bring its message of equity with a business model that continues to return 100% of the sales proceeds to the artists.

Visit Butter — along the Cultural Corridor at the Indianapolis Artsgarden above Illinois and Washington streets — during the following times. It's free with RSVP at tinyurl.com/5e3h8sy4.

  • 4-9 p.m. Feb. 16: Opening night, with a VIP night and artist reception.

  • 4-9 p.m. Feb. 17 and 4-6 p.m. Feb. 18: Butter exhibition continues.

  • The Creative Summit, which will include artist talks and activities, will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 16-18.

Curators include Malina Simone Bacon and Alan Bacon, Deonna Craig, Kia Davis and Alan Mills. A Butter shop, music by Deckademics and surprise appearances are on the way, too.

Light-based public art

Several installations that draw on the talents of Indianapolis performers, basketball players and imagery from the game will be spread across downtown. They include:

  • Projection-mapped artwork by Bloomington's Blockhouse Studios, who worked on the revamped digital ceiling in Newfields' Clowes Pavilion (on the T-Mobile building at 2 W. Washington St.)

  • Video arts collaboration by Australian artist Wendy Yu, Iibada Dance Co., 31Svn Dance Academy, Dance Kaleidoscope, and WBNA and Butler University basketball players (on the District Tap building at 141 S. Meridian St.)

  • "Buzzer beater" countdown by Innovative as part of "Shining a Light," which is the nightly event that projects video and light onto Monument Circle buildings (northwest and southwest quadrants of Monument Circle)

  • "Evanescent," which will be composed of glowing orbs in the shape of basketballs, created by Australia-based design studio Atelier Sisu (Hudnut Commons at Maryland and Capitol streets)

  • Other installations by Indianapolis artists include "Quantum Cavern" by Fred Miller III, "Arch down the Aisle" by Gautam Rao and '90s-inspired selfie station "You Are the All Star" by Christina Hollering

Indianapolis Artsgarden murals

Temporary murals, by Indianapolis artists Jingo de la Rosa and Jonathan Southern, will celebrate Indiana's basketball love.

Sidewalk galleries

Fifteen street and graffiti artists will create basketball-themed and freestyle work on the Pennsylvania and Delaware rail underpasses, just north of South Street. It will be curated by Indy artists Josh Brinson (Bezol One) and Mike Graves.

In addition, storefronts throughout downtown will sport Indianapolis artists' large murals and poetry. These will include:

  • "The Court" by India Cruse-Griffin, whose work visitors can currently see inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Capitol Avenue underpass between the Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium)

  • "Indiana Fever" series works by Israel Solomon, whose art is currently in Gainbridge Fieldhouse (northwest quadrant of Monument Circle)

  • Celebration of Hoosier Hysteria by Koda Witsken, whose work is currently in Gainbridge Fieldhouse. (northeast corner of Meridian and Washington streets)

Other murals will be by Union Station, on the CSX Building on the east end of Georgia Street, Circle Centre Mall and at 924 N. Pennsylvania St.

See it at Gainbridge Fieldhouse: Glorious art tells stories of Hoosier basketball history

24 giant basketball sculptures

The art project is appropriately called "Hoosier Historia," thanks to Indiana artists who are illustrating the state's favorite basketball moments on the six-foot behemoths that will be placed throughout downtown. The public voted on the stories last year.

Visit each one to see artists' visuals of the Ben Davis' girls' history-making winning streak; George McGinnis, Steve Downing and the 1969 Indianapolis Washington Champions; unique mascots; and family dynasties, among many other moments.

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Contact IndyStar reporter Domenica Bongiovanni at 317-444-7339 or d.bongiovanni@indystar.com. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter: @domenicareports.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Butter Indianapolis: Celebrate All-Star game with local art