WALTON COUNTY
Underwater Museum of Art surpasses 40 sculptures with 2023 deployment
by:
Kimber Collins
Posted: Jul 13, 2023
GRAYTON BEACH, Fla. (
WMBB) — Pieces of artwork were dropped into the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday. The event growing the Underwater Museum of Art off the Walton County coast.
A boat full of artists, sponsors, and Walton County officials left with Destin Snorkel to watch six custom sculptures become artificial reefs in the Underwater Museum of Art.
“It is a dive site that features original sculptures that morph into artificial reefs, and become a habitat for fish and it is the only one of its kind in the United States,” said Jennifer Steele, executive director of the Cultural Arts Alliance (CAA) of Walton County.
View all of the 2023 sculptures online.
Artist Chris Cubb watched his piece, the quantum reef, join 40 other masterpieces under the surface.
“That was fun. Little nerve-wracking, but fun,” said Chris Chubb, UMA 2023 artist.
Chubb has never made anything as an artist to be displayed underwater. Having this custom piece there for divers and marine life to enjoy is a proud moment in his career.
“I think that’s fun. I put a lot of thought into how the sculpture was assembled to encourage marine life to inhabit different parts of the sculpture, and I’m real excited to see how they respond,” said Chubb.
Now five years in the making, the CAA says they have plans to expand the dive site for decades.
“We would love for it to become a like a dive destination and working with SOWAL and the County to grow it steadily year after year and possibly add some other elements to it we think will sustain it and make it something that is an attraction for years to come,” said Steele.
Chubb said his next step is to become scuba certified so he can go down and see his work in action.
An artist called for 2024 statues will be released in the coming months from the CAA.
Find more information online.
GRAYTON BEACH, Fla. (WMBB) — Pieces of artwork were dropped into the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday. The event growing the Underwater Museum of Art off the Walton County coast. A boat full of art…
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