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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowGangGang founders launch ‘I Made Rock ‘N’ Roll’ festival
Mali and Alan Bacon, who were also named IBJ newsmakers in 2021, return to the list with their work on the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend and inaugural “I Made Rock ’N’ Roll” music festival.
The husband-and-wife team founded GangGang, a cultural development and social justice organization that supports Black artists and the creative economy, in 2020. GangGang has since been part of some of the city’s biggest cultural events.
In September, it hosted its fourth annual Butter fine art fair, an exhibit for Black artists that returns 100% of sales to the creators. The event has drawn more than 46,000 people and generated more than $900,000 in sales since its launch.
In February, GangGang worked with the Indiana Pacers, Indy Arts Council and Indiana Humanities as co-chairs of the NBA All-Star Arts and Culture Committee, creating events that included a Tip-Off celebration and Indy’s Home Court, a space showcasing Indiana chefs and musicians during All-Star Weekend.
Then in May, GangGang staged a festival designed to highlight and celebrate rock music’s Black roots, which the Bacons say have been buried too long. The event on May 18 at downtown’s American Legion Mall featured Janelle Monáe, Gary Clark Jr. and four other artists.
“This is about authorship,” Alan Bacon told IBJ.
The Bacons said “I Made Rock ‘N’ Roll” is more than a one-day event; it’s a year-round initiative to elevate awareness of rock’s Black architects—musicians such as Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Fats Domino and Sister Rosetta Tharpe.
Mali Bacon was an IBJ Woman of Influence in 2024.•
Check out more 2024 Newsmakers.
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