SaveArtSpace is proud to present Wild & Free, a public art exhibition on billboard ad space in New York, NY, opening June 26, 2026, curated by Gigi Chen.

The Wild & Free selected artist is Melanie Vote.

Wild & Free is about the close connection between nature, mythology and civilization. Nature is such a central part of my life and work. I grew up in Queens in New York City and never even saw the woods until I was a young adult. It was such a sublime feeling when I experienced natural darkness in a forest for the first time. That initial excitement and exhilaration of being present with the trees and feeling the rocks beneath my feet is deeply ingrained within myself. As a contemporary wildlife-focused artist and a burgeoning nature photographer living in a big urban city, I have grown to appreciate the beauty and dangers of the natural world as it contends with humankind. Civilization was built on the back of nature and you really cannot separate them. Birds nest on the cornices of buildings and rats run around with the backdrop of neon lights glinting in the distance. Mixed in the disarray, are moments of magic and countless stories of adaptation. - Gigi Chen

Opening June 26, 2026, SaveArtSpace will launch a public art installation for the selected artwork on billboard ad space in New York, NY. The public art will be on view for at least four weeks. Billboard location announced on June 8, 2026.

Selected Artist

Location: Atlantic Ave & Utica Ave, Brooklyn, NY

Melanie Vote is a New York–based painter whose work bridges observational practice, ecological research, and narrative imagination. Raised on a working farm in Iowa before spending over twenty‑five years in NYC, her painting straddles rural and urban worlds, investigating the human–land relationship and the impossibility of permanence. Working plein air in temperate months, she gathers visual fragments from the landscape and later reconstructs them into layered, open‑ended narratives in the studio. Vote holds an MFA from the New York Academy of Art and has exhibited nationally and internationally, with work supported by residencies including Cill Rialaig, Weir Farm, Jentel, and the Grand Canyon.

Artist Statement:

My work explores the relationship between humans and the natural world, focusing on time, ecology, and the ephemeral nature of existence. I begin each painting outdoors, stepping directly into the landscape to observe its layers, histories, and quiet signs of life. These plein‑air passages become the foundation for larger studio works that weave together objects, artifacts, and traces of human presence.

The imagery often carries a haunting stillness, not as a warning but as a reminder of our temporary place here. We are interlopers in much older ecological cycles; the land persists long after us. Through the juxtaposition of diverse visual elements, I examine impermanence and the continual metamorphosis that defines both nature and human life. My recent work, including Bioluminous, reflects on the resilience of prairie ecosystems and the unseen intelligence of plant life, inviting viewers to slow down and consider what endures.

Connect with Melanie at @melanievote.

Curator

Born in Guangdong, China and raised in New York City, Gigi Chen’s work creates an aesthetic that combines her training as a traditional animator and painter. Entrenched in the art of storytelling, Gigi plays with different metaphors involving family, love  and continuously chasing the Ideal of Home. Her colorful compositions involve wildlife and light and act as metaphors for tragedy and the hope for redemption. 

In addition to painting, Gigi is also an avid birder and burgeoning nature photographer with a growing passion for animal rights. Her work has been featured in solo exhibitions with several galleries including Beinart Gallery (Melbourne, Australia) and Antler Gallery (Portland, OR)

Connect with Gigi at @gigichen.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.