ABOUT
UNDERWATER
MUSEUM
OF ART
Named one of TIME Magazine’s “World’s Greatest Places” in 2018 and recipient of the 2023 CODAAward for Collaboration of the Year, the Underwater Museum of Art (UMA) blends coastal creativity with environmental stewardship. As the cornerstone of the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County’s Art in Public Spaces Program, the UMA is produced in partnership with the South Walton Artificial Reef Association (SWARA), transforming the Gulf’s clear emerald waters into a living gallery that supports marine habitat, strengthens fisheries, and expands cultural and educational opportunities for residents and visitors alike.
Resting within a one-acre permitted patch of seabed just offshore of Grayton Beach State Park, the museum continues to grow, with an upcoming installation expanding the collection to 53 sculptures. Each work is deployed alongside SWARA’s U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE) and Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) permitted artificial reef systems, including nine nearshore reef sites located within one nautical mile of shore in approximately 58 feet of water—placing world-class public art just beneath the surface of one of Florida’s most treasured coastlines. The Gulf waters off Walton County are approximately 95% barren sand flats, offering limited natural habitat for marine life. By deploying sculpture as artificial reef structures, the UMA promotes biological growth and provides critical protective habitat where none previously existed.
Beyond its striking visual presence, the UMA has become a dynamic eco-tourism destination, attracting art enthusiasts, conservation advocates, and divers from around the world. Beneath the gentle Gulf swells, the sculptures rapidly evolve into thriving reef systems, creating shelter and breeding grounds for marine life while offering scientists, conservation professionals, and students a rare opportunity to study the Gulf’s developing ecosystem. More than 100 species of plant and animal life have already been documented inhabiting the installations. While early sculptures required six to eight months to develop significant marine growth, today’s established reef environment allows new works to become encrusted with life in as little as three weeks—an inspiring reflection of art’s power to support and sustain the natural beauty that defines the Gulf Coast lifestyle.
Concept art for a statue in an underwater art museum and artificial reef.
An artist working on an underwater statue that will become part of an artificial reef and underwater art museum.
An underwater statue before being encrusted with marine life.
Concept art for a statue in an underwater art museum and artificial reef.
From Conception to Installation
CULTURAL ARTS ALLIANCE OF WALTON COUNTY
The Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County (CAA) is a Local Arts Agency that supports the arts through leadership, advocacy, funding, programs and education. With a mission to foster creativity in Walton County through the inclusive and collaborative advancement of the Arts, the CAA envisions a thriving Walton County where everyone experiences the power of the Arts. The CAA’s annual events such as the 30A Songwriters Festival and ArtsQuest Fine Arts Festival draw thousands of visitors to Walton County and enhance its economy.
SOUTH WALTON ARTIFICIAL REEF ASSOCIATION
The South Walton Artificial Reef Association is a grassroots, non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to the construction, deployment, and monitoring of permitted artificial reefs in Walton County’s Gulf coastal waters for the benefit and health of environment and community.
The idea for SWARA was borne out of concerns over the effects of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. The thought was “what can we do to help our community become more aware of our unique natural resources by enhancing their connection to this environment?”
Our solution to this question is to create a series of near-shore artificial reef systems along Walton County’s Gulf coastline and Eastern Choctawhatchee Bay waters. These reefs will combine the characteristics of this unique coastal environment with the County’s primary economic engine– tourism. In so doing, we could provide a WIN-WIN-WIN situation for residents, visitors, and the environment. Building beach-accessible, artificial reef habitat systems is a unique approach that provides tremendous economic and quality-of-life opportunities.
