SaveArtSpace is proud to present SO THEY SAY, a public art exhibition on bus shelter ad space in Miami, FL, opening December 30, 2026, curated by Katelyn Kopenhaver.

Advertising follows us everywhere. From our phones to the streets, it appears on screens floating in the ocean or hovering above our heads. We are constantly being sold something: a product, a belief, an emotion, or an idea of who we should aspire to be. These messages seep into our subconscious, shaping our perceptions and sense of identity, often without question or consent. Operating within the very infrastructure it seeks to examine, SO THEY SAY invites artists to create work specifically conceived for the bus shelter, rather than treating it as an alternative gallery wall. Through humor and/or critical inquiry, artists are encouraged to engage with the mechanics of advertising, playing with expectations and turning a space designed to persuade us into one that questions what we're being told.

We invite artists of all ages and talents to submit their artwork between October 29 and November 23, 2026 in order to be considered for the exhibition. This is an opportunity to have your work placed on bus shelter ad space in Miami, FL.

The application fee is $35 for 1-3 images; each additional image carries a $10 fee. Fees support the production of the exhibition, including the purchase of bus shelter ad space. All fees paid to SaveArtSpace are 100% tax deductible donations.

Selected artist will be announced after December 7, 2026. Public art will be on view starting December 30, 2026 in New York, NY, and will be on view for at least one month.

Curator

Katelyn Kopenhaver (b. 1992) is an interdisciplinary artist whose work examines the mechanisms through which power circulates and behavior is shaped, with a particular interest in trust, perception, and the gap between what is presented and what is withheld. Her practice moves between public intervention, performance, text, and lens-based media. Kopenhaver received her BFA in Photography from the School of Visual Arts in 2016 and is currently a studio resident at Bakehouse Art Complex in Miami, FL. She is a recipient of the NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship (2021) and the Miami Individual Artist Grant (2024 and 2026), and participated in the SOMA artist residency in Mexico City in 2026. Recent and current exhibitions include WORD at Stanek Gallery (Miami), Every Woman Biennial 2026 at Pen + Brush (New York), and F*ck Art at the Museum of Sex (Miami). Her work has been featured in The New York Times, New York Magazine, The Brooklyn Rail, and Der Greif Issue 18, curated by Hank Willis Thomas.

Connect with Katelyn at @KatelynKopenhaver.

SaveArtSpace

Founded in 2015, SaveArtSpace is a non-profit organization that works to create an urban gallery experience, launching exhibitions that address intersectional themes and foster a message of social change that benefits the working class. By placing culture over commercialism, SaveArtSpace aims to empower artists from all walks of life and inspire a new generation of young creatives and activists.