New Designs Revealed For 2025 Underwater Museum Of Art Installation

The Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County (CAA) and South Walton Artificial Reef Association (SWARA) are proud to reveal the five sculpture designs chosen by jury for permanent exhibition in the seventh installation of the Underwater Museum of Art (UMA).

The 2025 installation will include the following sculptures: Seahorse by Jessica Bradsher (Greenville, NC), Concretion by William Braithwaite (United Kingdom), The Neptunian Oak by Nathan Hoffman (Highlandville, MO), Happy Hour by Sarah Wilkinson (United Kingdom), and Hometown by Mandy Yourk (Panama City, FL).  

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 habitat and expanding fishery populations while providing enhanced creative, cultural, economic and educational opportunities for the benefit, education 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 that includes 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 permit patch of seabed off Grayton Beach State Park, further expanding the nation’s first permanent underwater museum.

See all UMA Exhibits.

Deployment of the 2025 UMA sculptures is slated for Summer. Visit UMAFL.org for more information on timeline and events surrounding the installation. Project and sculpture sponsorships are available. Please contact Gabby Callaway at gabby@culturalartsalliance.com for details.

2025 UMA SCULPTURE AND ARTIST DETAILS

SEAHORSE artist Jessica Bradsher is based in Greenville, NC. As an outdoor sculpture artist, she often creates with the themes of horses and hair. Seahorse will be her 9th full size welded horse and the piece will incorporate a fun twist on its mane and tail as they appear to flow with the ocean waters. Surreal horses inspire the imagination and the idea that anything is possible if you can dream it into existence.

CONCRETION is a concrete and steel sculpture by artist William Braithwaite. Concretion will add an interesting architectural intervention in the Gulf, asking a question about the relationship of art, architecture and the natural world. Using repetitive shapes and forms Braithwaite will build a large form that has both geometric and linear values. The sculpture describes visual relationships; it is a way for the artist  to make sense of architecture and its aesthetic values and provide a way of trying to understand abstract relationships.

Readers may recognize Missouri-based artist Nathan Hoffman from his 2024 UMA sculpture Poseidon’s Throne. For the 2025 installation, Hoffman will create THE NEPTUNIAN OAK,  a conduit for life and movement although being a representation of a dead and lifeless tree at its first landing on the ocean floor. It’s dislocated from its usual environment, however it will still function with great purpose. Even in death, a tree is a vessel for life. The hollowed out trunk and limbs will invite life to inhabit and explore its many crevices and grooves, swimming into and out of the voluminous space. Sections of big thick, chunky bark will provide surface area and many attachment points for life to flourish. A large tree commands your attention and deserves respect from the many years it’s lived and hardships it’s endured. This tree will be a reminder of the cycle of life and death and rebirth as new growth overtakes its once colorless and lifeless form. The submerged tree is also a reminder of rising sea levels and the rapidly changing earth. As living trees create oxygen through photosynthesis, in death this tree will do the same by giving algae a place to grow. If we could all be more like trees.

HAPPY HOUR by UK based artist Sarah Wilkinson is based on a margarita cocktail glass and provides the visiting divers with time to enjoy an oversized cocktail while diving the underwater museum site. The main purpose of the sculpture is to encourage marine life to transform the sculpture into a living reef. All surfaces of the concrete glass, together with the lime pieces attached to the cocktail glass, will have crevices and texture to attract marine life and algae to take up home on the sculpture. It is hoped that a cocktail of marine life will eventually inhabit the cocktail glass. 

HOMETOWN by Panama City artist Mandy Yourick uses simple shapes to explore the multiple meanings of home. The inspiration for this sculpture is the site itself. The Gulf waters, specifically off the shore of Grayton Beach, which are home to Yourick. This is where she first learned to swim in open water and where she spent many years making memories with friends on the shore. As the sixth generation of her family to be born and raised in the Florida Panhandle, she has deep connections to the area and is committed to the longevity of its biodiversity. Yourick hopes this playful sculpture becomes a hometown for generations of marine life to come.

Update - 2/24/25

The Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County (CAA) is excited to announce a groundbreaking collaboration between the Underwater Museum of Art (UMA) and the Florida Cancer Specialists Foundation (FCSF) that will introduce a unique addition to the UMA’s seventh annual installation. The Menina of the Reef: An Infinite Message (La Menina del Arrecife: Un Mensaje Infinito) sculpture by Spanish artist Antonio Azzato will be fabricated and deployed in the Summer of 2025 to raise awareness of FCSF’s mission to provide support and peace of mind to cancer patients in Florida.

Since 2018, Azzato has reimagined Diego Velázquez's iconic 17th-century painting, Las Meninas or Ladies in Waiting, as a larger-than-life public art exhibition depicting a stylized version of the painting’s subject, the Infanta Margaret Theresa. These sculptures, adorned with designs from international artists and celebrities, have graced the streets of Madrid, Spain each fall, and Caracas, Venezuela, with their sales supporting charitable causes. Now, for the first time, one of Azzato’s sculptures will be submerged underwater, creating a living reef that fosters marine life and symbolizes the transformation and resilience of cancer patients and survivors. UMA deployment partner Walter Marine / The Reefmaker will work with Azzato to bring the Menina artwork to life.

Azzato reflects on the significance of his latest work, stating, "The Menina of the Reef is more than just a sculpture—it is a symbol of strength, transformation, and resilience. Just as the ocean nurtures new life around these underwater sculptures, I hope this artwork serves as a source of inspiration and renewal for those facing the challenges of cancer. It is an honor to see my work become part of this meaningful project, merging art, nature, and hope beneath the waves. More than 350 sculptures of my Meninas have traveled through the streets of different cities, conveying messages, and I am very happy because this will be the first Menina to deliver a very special message—only this time, from the depths of the sea."

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. It is produced in partnership with the South Walton Artificial Reef Association to create marine habitat and expand fishery populations while providing enhanced creative, cultural, economic and educational opportunities for the benefit, education and enjoyment of residents, students and visitors in Walton County. The UMA is located in a one-acre permit patch of seabed off Grayton Beach State Park, and the 2025 installation will expand the artwork count to 53. UMA sculptures are deployed with SWARA’s existing USACOA and FDEP-permitted artificial reef projects, including nine nearshore reefs located within one nautical mile of the shore in approximately 58 feet of water.

“This meaningful collaboration with the Florida Cancer Specialists Foundation reinforces the power of the Arts to uplift and inspire,” said CAA President & CEO Jennifer Steele. “It is an honor to be associated with an international artist of Antonio Azzato’s caliber to bring attention to Art as an artificial reef supporting marine health and as a form of support for our fellow Floridians facing life-changing challenges.”

"The Menina of the Reef is a beacon of hope, connecting art, science, and philanthropy in a unique and profound way,” shares Lynn Rasys, Executive Director, Florida Cancer Specialists Foundation.  "A particularly meaningful part of this project is the opportunity for patients, survivors, and supporters to send their own ‘message in a bottle’—words of encouragement and strength that will be sealed in a time capsule within the sculpture. These messages will become part of the underwater reef, a lasting testament to the resilience of those facing cancer. “Through their participation, donors not only contribute to this symbolic journey but also provide real assistance to patients in need. We are grateful for the vision of Dr. Raul Storey, the artistic brilliance of Antonio Azzato, and the international collaboration that has brought this project to life."

Raul Storey, MD, Co-Chair of the Florida Cancer Specialists Foundation, emphasizes the project's impact, stating, “This project is a testament to the power of collaboration, creativity, and compassion. Cancer patients face immense challenges, but like the ocean, they are constantly evolving, adapting, and finding new ways to thrive. The Menina of the Reef symbolizes this journey, and I hope it serves as a reminder that, even in the depths, beauty and strength can flourish."

Deployment of the 2025 UMA sculptures, which include Concretion by William Braithwaite (United Kingdom), Seahorse by Jessica Bradsher (Greenville, NC), The Neptunian Oak by Nathan Hoffman (Highlandville, MO), Happy Hour by Sarah Wilkinson (United Kingdom), and Hometown by Mandy Yourk (Panama City, FL), and The Menina of the Reef: An Infinite Message by Antonio Azzato (Spain) is slated for Summer 2025.

Select sculptures will be on display at the Dine + Dive UMA fundraiser, which will take place on Wednesday, April 30, from 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets for the event will be available for purchase at CulturalArtsAlliance.com beginning March 3. The artwork will also be on display during the 37th Annual ArtsQuest Fine Arts Festival, which will take place on Saturday, May 3, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, May 4, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Both events will take place at Grand Boulevard Town Center.

2025 UMA Sponsors include Visit South Walton, the National Endowment for the Arts, Walter Marine / The Reefmaker, the St. Joe Community Foundation, the Florida Cancer Specialists Foundation, Beachy Blooms 30A, The Ellis Family, and Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa.

Project and sculpture sponsorships are still available. Please contact Gabby Callaway at gabby@culturalartsalliance.com for details. For more information on the timeline and events surrounding the installation, visit UMAFL.org.