Underwater Museum of Art Announces Launch Party

April 30, 2018

WALTON COUNTY, Fla. – April 30, 2018 – On May 10 the Cultural Arts Alliance (CAA) and the South Walton Artificial Reef Association (SWARA) will host a launch party and press conference featuring the artists and sculptures of the soon to be launched Underwater Museum of Art (UMA). The event will take place at Grand Boulevard in conjunction with the opening reception of Arts Quest Fine Arts Festival.

The event will not only feature a question and answer session with the artists and the opportunity to see the completed works before they are deployed into the Gulf of Mexico to serve as artificial reefs and an underwater museum, but will also include raffle items, refreshments and live music provided by Shawn Mullins and his band, Soul Carnival. A cash bar will be available featuring signature Art Week cocktails. Tickets are $100 for VIP and $50 for general admission.

The UMA is the first of its kind in the USA. The museum is part of the CAA’s “In Public Spaces” program and will reflect the mission of the South Walton Artificial Reef Association to enhance the ecological, creative, cultural, economic and educational opportunities for guests and locals alike.

The artists selected to create the statues for the 2018 installment each received a $2,000 stipend to create their sculpture, and $500 to use to ship the finished sculpture.

The UMA project will provide anchor points for marine life to inhabit. Sculptures are expected to be in place for the Summer 2018 season. The sculptures will rest in about 50 to 60-feet of water on a one-acre patch of seabed 0.71 miles off of Grayton Beach State Park that has been dedicated to the CAA for the purpose of the underwater sculpture exhibit.

Five of the seven artists whose proposals were selected for this first installation are local to the Emerald Coast. For artist info and a full description of each sculpture, visit: https://www.culturalartsalliance.com/local-arts/underwater-museum-of-art  

Artist renderings of the winning proposals can also be viewed and downloaded here: https://walton.montala.com/?c=1552&k=de419d4c19

For more information visit The Cultural Arts Alliance website at www.culturalartsalliance.com/our-events/ or contact The Cultural Arts Alliance at 850-622-5970.