Five Designs Selected for Seventh Underwater Museum of Art Installation

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WALTON COUNTY, Fla. – Dec. 11 – The Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County (CAA) and South Walton Artificial Reef Association (SWARA) are proud to reveal five new sculpture designs, chosen by jury, for permanent exhibition in the seventh installation of the Underwater Museum of Art (UMA), located off the shore of Grayton Beach State Park.

The 2025 installation will include the following sculptures:

Seahorse by Jessica Bradsher (Greenville, N.C.)
Concretion by William Braithwaite (United Kingdom)
The Neptunian Oak by Nathan Hoffman (Highlandville, Mo.)
Happy Hour by Sarah Wilkinson (United Kingdom)
Hometown by Mandy Yourick (Panama City, Fla.)

Named in 2018 by TIME Magazine as one of 100 “World’s Greatest Places” and recipient of the 2023 CODAaward for Collaboration of the Year, the UMA is the cornerstone of the CAA’s Art in Public Spaces Program and augments SWARA’s mission of creating marine habitats and expanding fishery populations. It also provides enhanced creative, cultural, economic and educational opportunities for the benefit and enjoyment of residents, students and visitors in South Walton.

UMA sculptures are deployed with SWARA’s existing USACOA and FDEP permitted artificial reef projects, which include nine nearshore reefs located within one nautical mile of the shore in approximately 58 feet of water. The 2025 installation will join the 47 sculptures previously deployed on a one-acre permitted patch of seabed off Grayton Beach State Park, further expanding the nation’s first permanent underwater museum.

Deployment of the 2025 UMA sculptures is slated for summer. Visit umafl.org for more information on the timeline and events surrounding UMA’s launch. Project and sculpture sponsorships are available; contact Gabby Callaway at gabby@culturalartsalliance.com for details.

For artist information, sculpture descriptions, and renderings, please visit umafl.org/exhibits.

For photos and videos of previous launches and current underwater art pieces: UMA Media Gallery

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