Keepers of Culture

Keepers of Culture was commissioned in summer 2021 to celebrate the inaugural outing of the BUTTER art fair, presented over Labor Day Weekend by GANGGANG Culture.  It shows portraits of eight Indianapolis bearers of Black culture. The artist, Ashley Nora, states that she intended to highlight artists who were the local “stars” of today, as well as international celebrities whose origins lie in Indianapolis, all of whom are both creating Black culture and keeping it going. The mural is painted to achieve a 3D effect if you have access to 3D glasses or a smartphone app that provides the same color screening.

The figures shown in the mural (from left to right) are:

• Antonio Maxie: Indianapolis-based hip hop artist and fashion designer
• Mariah Ivey: Indianapolis-based spoken word artist and creator of That Peace Open Mic
• Rob Dixon:  Indianapolis-based jazz saxophonist, teacher, and composer, and artistic director of Indy Jazz Fest
• Mike Epps: Indianapolis-born stand-up comedian and actor
• Vivica A. Fox: Indianapolis-raised actor, producer, and television host
• Amos Brown: Indianapolis-based broadcaster, journalist, and community activist
• Deborah Asante: Indianapolis-based storyteller, performing artist, and founder of the Asante Art Institute
• Le’Deana Brown: Indianapolis-based journalist and founder of Midwest Leak Magazine

Ashley Nora is a self-taught, Indianapolis-based painter and portraitist. This commission was her first public mural.