SaveArtSpace is proud to present Space to Feel, a public art exhibition on bus shelter ad space in Miami, FL, opening August 14, 2026, curated by Leah Guzman.

The Space to Feel selected artist is Shannon Scates.

We are living in an age of emotional burnout. Society praises toughness, detachment, and constant productivity while dismissing sensitivity, rest, and emotional openness as weakness. But softness is not weakness, it is resistance. It is survival.

Space to Feel is a call for artists to explore the beauty and power of emotional honesty, tenderness, healing, and human connection. We welcome submissions in all mediums that embrace mental health, vulnerability, masculinity, femininity, identity, and emotional expression. This open call creates space for the quiet parts of ourselves that deserve to be celebrated without fear.

Opening August 14, 2026, SaveArtSpace will launch a public art installation for the selected artwork on bus shelter ad space in Miami, FL. The public art will be on view for at least four weeks. Bus shelter location announced on July 27, 2026.

Selected Artist

Location: NW 2nd Ave & NW 29th St, Miami, FL

Shannon Scates was born in Washington, D.C., in 1986, and raised in Prince George’s (P.G.) County, Maryland. Her art is a visual celebration. She “speaks life through art” and desires to use her creative abilities to heal and inspire.

Shannon started painting in 2007, while attending school as a marketing major at North Carolina A&T State University. She took an art class and was encouraged by her professor to participate in a group show on campus. This ignited her love of expressing herself through painting and sharing it with the world.

She has exhibited in numerous group shows including Black Beyond Belonging at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, AJOYO in London, in 2020. She had her first solo show in 2021, titled ‘Today Is a Great Day to Be You’, in Baltimore, Maryland. Shannon’s work was also exhibited and auctioned at the 2022 Wearable Art Gala, hosted by Richard and Tina Lawson. In 2023, she participated in a group show, “Who She Found in the Looking Glass”, at Gallery 90220, in Los Angeles. This show celebrated Black women and was featured in Essence Magazine. In 2024, she furthered her learning and developing of her artistic practice through an artist residency with Crafting the Future, in downtown Los Angeles. She also had her work featured in a January 2026 issue of New Statesman, the United Kingdom’s leading progressive political and cultural magazine.

Shannon currently lives and works in Maryland.

Artist Statement: The ‘Get Your Rest’ series is inspired by my own need to let go. I’m looking to heal, to be better at and quicker to forgive, and to go after everything that’s meant for me. The artwork features a woman with her hands in the position of surrender with emphasis on her open hands – both ready to receive and ready to give. It is a peaceful submission. It is a surrender to purpose and intention. Visually, it is also meant to represent a return to my inner child for the purpose of healing that child and moving forward. This is expressed through the style and playfulness of the flowers in her shirt. Rest, in this case, is not laying down. It is finally standing up. It is establishing boundaries. It is a pursuit of peace. It is alignment. I’m sharing stories of rest and vibrant visuals to encourage us all and serve as reminders that rest is a necessity and not a luxury. I want peace that surpasses understanding. I want rest. I want that for you too.

Get your rest.

Connect with Shannon at @shannonascates.

Curator

Leah Guzman is a Board-Certified Art Therapist, professional artist, and international bestselling author of five books dedicated to creativity, healing, and emotional well-being. A lifelong artist with over 20 years of experience in the field of art therapy, she specializes in supporting creatives through transformative online art therapy services designed to nurture mental and emotional wellness.

Leah is also the founder of the Creative Soul Society Membership, an online community offering weekly gatherings where creatives can connect, heal, and grow through the power of art and self-expression. Through her work, she is passionate about helping others use creativity as a tool for resilience, self-discovery, and meaningful connection.

Connect with @leah.guzman.art.

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.